SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State softball reached its 40^th win of the season with a 5-1 win over Marshall. The team improved to 40-16 on the season with a 16-6 conference record.
 
Hannah Earls led off the night and the offense with three hits, two runs and a stolen base. All three of her hits were bunt singles and she was the only Bobcat with multiple hits on the night. Sara Vanderford and Anna Jones each had two RBI on their hits on the night, while Vanderford counted a double.
 
Maddy Azua started in the circle for the Bobcats throwing 4.0 innings and getting the win on the night. She allowed just one run and four hits with four strikeouts. Jessica Mullins closed out the game with two hits and two walked batters with three strikeouts.

What Head Coach Ricci Woodard said: "I just talked to them about it, this is just win 40. Everyone is going to think it's a big deal, but that's just one game. Our goal right now is the next five games. We have to take care of business and get better every single game."
 
What Third Basemen Sara Vanderford said: "Through the grind, you just don't notice [the season record]. It's a good stepping stone, but we need to keep working in the right direction. We need to use these games to get better and put us in a good spot next week."
 
What Shortstop Hannah Earls said: "As long as I do my job [we're in a good spot]. I just try to put it in play and get on for the girls, and they move me around [the bases]. It's up to them."

How it Happened
Maddy Azua started out in the circle for the Bobcats with a strike out, she'd add a second to get the final batter out to end the inning, giving up just one hit. 
 
Hannah Earls led off for the Bobcats with a bunt single, she'd steal second on Emilee Baker's at-bat and advance to third on the ground out. She was stranded on third though after back-to-back strikeouts from Vanderford and Anna Jones.
 
Both sides were able to get runner son base in the second, but it took until the third inning for the Bobcats to break the deadlock. Earls laid down another bunt single following a Sydney Harvey walk, she'd advance to second on an error by the Herd's second baseman. Sara Vanderford doubled that lead with a double through the right side, scoring Earls.
 
Marshall was able to pull back a run in the top of the 4^th off an error by Kat Zarate that'd score a runner who reached on a walk.
 
The Bobcats scored three runs in the 4^th, which would earn them their 5-1 lead they'd end the game with. The first run came from a bases-loaded walk by Vanderford, she scored Harvey who also reached on a walk. From there, it was a 2 RBI single from Jones for the last two runs.
 
Jessica Mullins came in to pitch in the 5^th inning, giving up one hit in the inning but striking out a batter with the bases loaded. She stranded three runners on base with the three-pitch strikeout.
 
In the final two innings both sides were able to put runners on, but solid defense on both sides kept runners from scoring. A strikeout from Mullins, a ground out and a fly out in the top of the 7^th retired the Marshall Thundering Herd without them chipping away at the Bobcats lead. Texas State would go on to win 5-1. 
 
Texas State will face the Thundering Herd tomorrow in the second game of its three-game series at 6 pm inside Bobcat Softball Stadium. The game will be streamed on ESPN+. The team will honor graduating fifth year players Sara Vanderford and Tori McCann before the game.