SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State softball wrapped up a three-game sweep of Penn State on Friday with a walk-off 2-1 win in extra innings in game one of a doubleheader followed by a shutout tossed by Jessica Mullins in a 6-0 victory in game two at Bobcat Softball Stadium.
 
The Bobcats (20-6) reached the 20-win plateau for the season with the trio of victories over the Nittany Lions (15-6) in the last two days. Texas State also extended its winning streak to six games, which is one shy of their season-high.
 
In game one, both teams scored their initial runs in the first inning, and the game remained tied at 1-1 through the seventh inning. Karsen Pierce and Madison Azua kept the Penn State bats in check with three hits allowed over eight combined innings pitched. Ciara Trahan, meanwhile, plated the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth to cap the 2-1 win.
 
In game two, Mullins surrendered a single to the first batter of the game before facing the minimum for the following 18 batters faced. The senior registered her third shutout in her last six starts and notched her 11th win of the year.
 
"I thought tonight our defense showed up," said Ricci Woodard, Texas State head coach. "We made some key defensive plays that let us keep the momentum. Without those plays, the games would've been a lot different. Our defense played outstanding tonight."
 
Karmyn Bass drove in three of the six Texas State runs in the second game. She went 2-for-3 at the plate with two doubles.
 
Bass was one of four Bobcats with multi-hit efforts in game two. Hannah Earls was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs that were registered in a four-run sixth inning.
 
"We have to stay on the offensive, whether we're on offense or playing defense," added Woodard. "I thought we did a good job today of attacking things and keeping the game in our control."
 
 
Game One
Penn State scored their only run of the day in the first inning of game one, but the Bobcats quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning with a run-producing groundout by Anna Jones that plated Earls.
 
Pierce settled in after the first inning in which she allowed two base hits and hit a batter. The right-hander allowed just one base runner to reach second base in her final four-plus innings as she finished the no-decision with one earned run allowed on three hits and two walks in five-plus frames. She also struck out four.
 
The Texas State bats were unable to solve Penn State starter Mady Volpe after the first inning as the Bobcats had one hit in the second through fourth innings. In the fifth, Katarina Zarate had a one-out double while Emilee Baker followed that up with a walk. However, the Bobcats left the go-ahead run in scoring position.
 
The Nittany Lions lifted Volpe in the sixth, and the Bobcats were able to get the first two batters on base against reliever Paige Maynard. However, with runners on first and second, Bass hit a groundball that deflected off Penn State first baseman Gianna Poletti's glove and was fielded by second baseman Emily Maddock. Maddock flipped the ball to second base to force out Jones and then Penn State shortstop Kaitlyn Morrison threw Sara Vanderford, who was trying to score from second on the attempted double-play behind her, out at home for the second out. Penn State catcher Gaby Garcia then threw to third base to get what she thought was the final out of the play – but it was to tag out an already-called-out Jones who was running out of the play. After an official review of the play, it was deemed runner's interference for final out of the inning and to complete the triple play.
 
Despite the chaos on the base paths, Azua turned in three scoreless innings of relief for Texas State. In the eighth, the Bobcats negated the runner placed on second to start the inning as part of the international tiebreaker thanks to Azua throwing out the runner at third base on a ground ball hit by Maddock with one out. Maddock was then called out after leaving early from first base on a walk drawn by Maddie Gordon to end the top of the eighth.
 
Texas State took advantage of two Penn State errors in the bottom of the eighth to set up Trahan's walk-off sacrifice fly. The Bobcats had runners on first and second after an error on a ground ball by the frame's first hitter Baker. The next batter, Earls, hit a ground ball to third base, which was bobbled and allowed all runners to reach safely and load the bases for Trahan. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Trahan punched the ball into left field for a sacrifice fly and score Zarate.
 
"You could that tell that was a game for both of us that was a "gut it out" game," said Woodard. "(Pierce and Azua) did a great job controlling the game for us and giving us a chance to win."
 
 
Game Two
Mullins earned her second win in as many days after allowing just two hits in seven scoreless innings. The senior had three strikeouts and one walk on 93 pitches.
 
Mullins worked with a lead after the top of the first as the Bobcats scored a pair of two-out runs off Maynard in the bottom half of the first frame. With runners on first and second, Bass dropped in a double to shallow right field that was a ball that glanced off Penn State second baseman Maddock's glove. The hit resulted in an RBI when Vanderford scored on the play, but an errant throw by Maddock in an attempt to put out Bass at second base resulted in an additional run scored by Jones.
 
The Bobcats had one hit and one walk drawn from the second through fifth innings before busting out for four runs in the sixth. Vanderford led off the inning with a double and was advanced to third with a single by Jones. Bass then hit her second double of the night and drive in both Vanderford and Jones to make it 4-0 Texas State. The Bobcats later loaded the bases, and with two outs, Earls had an infield single that eventually drove in two runs and give Texas State their final 6-0 advantage.
 
Mullins ended the game with a strikeout and allowed only one base runner in the final 15 batters faced.
 
"If the other team doesn't score, you're going to win," said Woodard about Mullins' performance. "If you can put zeroes on the board over and over again, that gives us a chance to stick around and figure out how to score more runs on the board late."
 
 
Up Next
Texas State will open Sun Belt Conference play at James Madison with a three-game series starting on Friday, March 15.