SAN MARCOS, Texas –  The Bobcats closed out the TXST Tournament with a commanding 8-1 win against the Texas Tech Red Raiders after falling to them the day prior.
 
The Bobcats win came from a hot start courtesy of a first-inning Sara Vanderford home run. From there, the Red Raiders tied it up until three-run third and fourth innings by the Bobcats put the game out of reach. The 'Cats added an 8^th run in the 5^th to cruise to the 8-1 win. 
 
Hannah Earls led things for the Bobcats with three hits and two runs in four at-bats while Ciara Trahan went for three hits, one run and four RBI in her three at-bats. The Bobcats four other hits came from four other batters for six total Bobcats with hits on the day.

The Bobcats open their 2024 road slate next week at a joint tournament hosted by Arizona State and Grand Canyon. The Bobcats will face the two hosts, Seton Hall, Ohio State, Utah Valley and Idaho State in the tournament running Feb. 22-25.
 
From Texas State head coach Ricci Woodard
"The biggest thing is it proved to us who we can be. Every day is a choice and we have to decide who we are going to be. I didn't like the whole feel yesterday. From the start to the finish of the entire day, so we wasted two ball games in my opinion. Today we made a choice to do things differently and we got a different outcome.
 
From Pitcher Jessica Mullins
"This game was huge. It shows what type of team we can be, and we just need to show up like that every game day."
 
From Right Fielder Ciara Trahan
"[This win] was really big. Just from going to last weekend into this, this weekend we didn't have the outcomes we wanted but today we came together as a team and figured out what we were doing and how to change it. That showed today."
 
How it Happened
Out of the gate, the Bobcats had the momentum. As Jessica Mullins started on the mound and sat down the first three batters faced, things were on the 'Cats side. The final out was a three-strike strikeout to turn the inning.
 
Hannah Earls singled to left on her first pitch, though she was caught stealing on Ciara Trahan's at-bat. Didn't matter, though, as Sara Vanderford slammed home a one-run homer in the bottom of the first. 
 
Mullins got two fly outs and a strikeout off the Red Raiders in the top of the 2^nd. The 'Cats didn't add any more runs off the hit in they got in the second, though.
 
Mullins gave up a one run homer to left field in the top of the third, one of just two hits she'd give up all night. After that, she struck out the next batter and got two fly outs to follow it up.
 
That's when the Bobcats hit the gas and capitalized off Red Raider errors. Sydney Harvey got on base from a shortstop error and advanced to second. From there, Earls bunted to get on as well. Then, Trahan's RBI single scored Harvey. 
 
Vanderford got on by another error, this time by the second basement. Trahan advanced to third and Earls scored off that. After a pitching change, Karmyn Bass hit a sac-fly to score Trahan and the Bobcats ended the inning up 4-1.
 
Mullins gave up one hit in the 4^th while striking out two batters to keep the Bobcats ahead 4-1.
 
With the 'Cats back up to bat, JJ Smith was walked to start things off. From there, they walked Harvey as well and Earls laid another bunt down to get on. With the bases loaded, Trahan tripled down the left field line for 3 RBI to give the 'Cats a 7-1 lead.
 
Mullins retired three batters in a row in the top of the 5^th. With the 'Cats back to bat, Piper Randolph doubled to left. She'd score on a long base hit off the back wall by Smith for the 'Cats final run of the night. 
 
From there, Mullins kept the Red Raiders from getting another hit and the hot bats for the Bobcats got the team a bounce back 8-1 win over the Big 12 foe.