SAN MARCOS, Texas – In celebration of the 40^th season of Bobcat Softball, Texas State won in the best fashion possible: a five-inning, 11 run, run rule. With six runs in the 2^nd and 5 in the third, the Bobcats won on Alumni Day in extraordinary fashion to improve to 25-7 on the season and 4-1 in Sun Belt play.
 
Six different Bobcats made up the 11 hits on the day, but leading the way was Piper Randolph who was three-for-three on the day with two runs and two RBI in the process.  Karmyn Bass, Sydney Harvey and Sara Vanderford all had two hits apiece.
 
Vanderford made her own piece of history in this game too, tying the all-time Texas State career RBI record. The 5^th year senior hit her 65^th career double, also a all-time record, for the Bobcats 10^th run of the game. It was her 164^th career double, which ties that of Ariel Ortiz, who set the record in 2018. Vanderford has set the record in 661 at bats, Ortiz accomplished the feat in 685.
 
Maddy Azua started and tossed four innings of this game, allowing four hits, no runs and striking out three batters. She did not walk a batter she faced.
 
The Bobcats will look to complete the series sweep tomorrow, March 24, at noon inside Bobcat Softball Stadium. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ in the series finale of Alumni Weekend for Texas State softball.
 
What Head Coach Ricci Woodard said: "We did a better job of attacking good pitchers. That group right there, with Piper [Randolph], Sara [Vanderford] and Karmyn [Bass], when they go, they're hard to stop. It was nice to see some kids have some key hits all at the same time."
 
What center fielder Piper Randolph said: "The main adjustment I made [from yesterday] is just staying loose and relaxed. Just knowing that my teammates have my back no matter what and that God has a plan for me no matter what, it allows me to play a lot more free. It allows me to have a lot more fun with it." 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: 
After an honorary first pitch thrown out by the Bobcats first-ever head coach Pam Wuestenberg, it was the 2024 team's time to shine. With Maddy Azua starting in the circle. She gave up a hit on the first at-bat, but the Bobcat defense was able turn a double play on the next at-bat for two outs. The third batter would ground out to end the quick first inning.
 
The Bobcats came alive in the second after a slow start in the first. Bass started things off with a single up the middle, followed up by a JJ Smith walk. They'd both advance on hit pitch by Zarate. 
 
Emilee Baker batted in the first run on a single to the shortstop, followed up by two RBI from Sydney Harvey. Hannah Earls would get the first out of the inning on a ground out to the pitcher, followed by a Trahan line out.
 
Harvey would advance and Baker scored on a wild pitch. 
 
The final run came on a Karmyn Bass single that scored Randolph, who got on base from her second hit of the day.
 
Azua struck out two of three batters in the top of the 3^rd to quickly put the Bobcats back up to bat.
 
Zarate started off the bottom of the third with a ground-rule double, she'd advance to third on Harvey's bunt, scoring on a Trahan sac-fly. 
 
With Harvey on third, Randolph doubled up the middle for two RBI. Vanderford then hit her historic double down the left field line to score Randolph.
 
Bass ended the scoring by reaching on an error, scoring Vanderford.
 
App State got a double in the top of the 4^th, their lone extra-base hit of the day.
 
Presley Glende came in in the 5^th to close the game out, getting one strike out and forcing a fly out and pop out to end the game, preserving the shutout win for the Bobcats.
 
Texas State now sits at 25-7 on the season with a 4-1 record in conference play.