SAN MARCOS, Texas –  Texas State propelled themselves to a 6-1 win over #21 Baylor on Wednesday night after a three-run opening inning gave the Bobcats an early lead. 
 
Sara Vanderford was good for two hits on the day, scoring two runs in the process. She had one RBI on the night as well. Karmyn Bass and JJ Smith each tacked on two RBI a piece while getting a hit to help the Bobcats to the win. 
 
Jessica Mullins started on the mound for the Bobcats and tossed 4.0 innings and striking out four batters. Maddy Azua came in for the save, tossing the final three innings and preserving the 3-0 lead she inherited.

The Bobcats return to play Friday, April 5 against Troy in the first game of a three-game series. Game one will start at 6 pm inside Bobcat Softball Stadium. All three games of the series will be on ESPN+.
 
What Head Coach Ricci Woodard said: "I thought we were clicking on all cylinders tonight. When you get three in the first inning, it gives you a good feel. When you pick up three late, you're probably going to win a ball game."
 
What Third Basemen Sara Vanderford said: "This is what we work for. This might be the first time in my career that, top to bottom, everyone trusts what we're doing. Whenever you trust each other, you trust yourself, you trust the coaches, you trust what you've put in, it comes together. This is finally the first time we're letting it work for us. I couldn't be more proud and more thankful that this is how this worked out."
 
What Catcher Karmyn Bass said: "This season's been really good for us. We've been coming out punching every single game. It wasn't the expectation, but we came out fighting like we do every other game. I feel like we don't see this as a big game anymore, we just see this as a step towards the end of the season."

How it Happened
Jessica Mullins started in the circle for the Bobcats, and handled the adversity well in the early stages. Despite walking a batter and giving up a single to left field, she was able to get out of the inning with no runs scored. She struck out two batters, the second while the bases were loaded, to preserve the shutout. 
 
Sydney Harvey came in to replace Ciara Trahan in the middle of the first inning.
 
When the Bobcats got to bat, though, Hannah Earls got her fourth-straight leadoff single to get things started for the Bobcats. She'd steal second for her 11th stolen base of the season. Sydney Harvey struck out, but then Piper Randolph was walked to put a second runner on.
 
On Sara Vanderford's at-bat, she hit her 172nd career RBI to put the Bobcats up a run. 
 
Anna Jones singled through the left side on her at-bat, loading the bases. Karmyn Bass would single for two RBI on her at bat, advancing to second on the throw. Jones was out on the play, but the Bobcats left the first inning with a 3-0 lead.
 
Mullins struck out a Baylor batter in each of the second, third and fourth innings while keeping the shutout. Texas State was able to piece together a few hits, but didn't add anymore runs until the sixth inning.
 
Azua came to pitch in the 5th inning, but in the 6th had gotten the bases loaded. The Bobcats were able to turn an unconventional double play for the out at home and first to escape the inning without conceding a run.
 
The Bobcat offense responded well to the sixth-straight shutout inning and tallied three more runs. After Randolph singled to left, Vanderford matched it with another single to left and stole second. Bass was walked to load the bases when JJ Smith singled through the right side, scoring both Randolph and Vanderford.
 
Bass would advance to third on Smith's single and scored the Bobcats 6th and final run off a wild pitch. 
 
In the top of the 7th, the Bears pulled back a lone run on an RBI single through the left side. Despite the run, though, the Baylor hit a fly out to end the game, preserving the Bobcats 5-0 lead.
 
The Bobcats would walk away with a 6-1 win over #21 Baylor on Wednesday night, improving to 30-8 on the season. The Bobcats will look ahead to hosting Troy on the weekend.