SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State softball completed its second run rule in as many days in 8-0 fashion over the Troy Trojans on Saturday afternoon. Coming out hot to a 4-0 win in the opening inning courtesy of a JJ Smith home run, the Bobcats took that momentum to a six inning run-rule win.
 
Smith also hit the RBI to score the 8^th and run-rule deciding win in the sixth inning in her two hit, one run and four RBI day. Sara Vanderford also had a efficient day at the plate, scoring two runs on three hits with an RBI to cap it off. 
Hannah Earls had three hits of her own from the leadoff spot with one run, one RBI and she was walked one time.
 
Jessica Mullins tossed the complete game shutout, the 21^st shutout of her career. She has also now tossed 61 complete games in her time as a Bobcat. She struck out five batters on the day.
 
The team will look for the series sweep tomorrow, April 7^th, at 11 a.m. in the series finale with the Trojans. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
What Head Coach Ricci Woodard said: "Any time we can attack early like we did today, we put ourselves in a good spot. When we can get a few runs in the first couple of innings, and then let Mullins be Mullins, things are clicking for us really well right now."
 
What Third Basemen Sara Vanderford said: "I say it every time, if we show up, usually games are going to go in our favor. If we can get out here and work at it and trust ourselves and what we've put in, it's going to be hard to beat us."
 
What First Basemen JJ Smith said: "It's really exciting just because I know all the hard work that we've been putting in at practice. It's really exciting to see it work in a game, especially offensively. Whenever we're hot, especially all throughout the game, it keeps the energy up in the dug out."

How it Happened
After Mullins retired the first three batters she faced in the top half of the inning, Earls led things off with a walk to get on in the bottom half. She stole second on Piper Randolph's at-bat, ultimately advancing to third on her bunt. Vanderford was next up to bat, ricocheting a ball off the top of the wall for another double, batting in Earls in the process.
 
Karmyn Bass was walked to put two runners on when Smith came up to bat. Smith took a hack at the first pitch thrown by the Trojans pitcher and sent it sailing over the scoreboard in right field at Bobcat Softball Stadium for a three-run homer. This set the Bobcats momentum for the rest of the game as Smith hit her second homer in as many days.
 
The Bobcats bats went quiet for an inning before the third inning came around and Kat Zarate was able to get a base hit. 
 
Megan Kelnar went on to get a ground rule double as her hit bounced over the outfield fence, advancing Zarate to third. Zarate would score on Earls' RBI single on the next at-bat to make it a 5-0 game
 
In the 4^th, Mullins got back-to-back strike outs to shut down the Trojans.
 
To lead off for the Bobcats in the 4^th, Vanderford hit yet another double up the middle, she'd advance to third on Anna Jones sac-bunt and score on Bass' sac-fly.
 
Throught the 5^th and top of the 6^th, the Trojans were unable to add another run. Needing just two to complete the run-rule, the Bobcats came back up to bat and did just that. Bass tripled to right center for the first RBI, followed by a doube by Smith that she scored on.
 
After six innings, the Bobcats came away with a 8-0 run rule win and improved to 32-8 on the season and 9-2 in conference play.