MOBILE, Ala. – A complete game, eight-strikeout effort from Maddy Azua helped Texas State to a 5-1 win in its series opener at South Alabama on Thursday night. 

Offensively, the Bobcats recorded seven hits, including a 2 RBI double from Keely Williams and Aiyana Coleman's 10^th home run of the season to help the team to five runs in the win. 

How It Happened:
Williams led the game off with a double, though she'd get out on a foul out from Sydney Harvey on the next at-bat. Despite recording the hit, Texas State was unable to score any runs in the first.

Maddy Azua gave up two hits in the bottom half of the first, but a strikeout with a runner in scoring position ended the inning. Azua got better and better as this game continued on, allowing just two more hits the rest of the game and striking out seven batters in addition to the one in the first.

Texas State broke the deadlock in the top of the 3^rd after a leadoff double from Kat Zarate. She advanced to third on Megan Kelnar's sacrifice bunt, going on to score on a failed pick off attempt by the Jaguars catcher that sent the ball into left field. Williams would score a second run on a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 in the third.

South Alabama pulled a run back in the 5th, making it a one run game on a RBI single. Azua again struck out a batter to end the inning in the 5^th, starting her run of six strikeouts on the final eight batters she saw.

Aiyana Coleman hit her 10^th home run of the season in the 6^th to dead center field to make it a 3-1 game, giving the Bobcats extra breathing room. It was the bottom half of the 6^th inning where Azua retired three batters via strikeout while walking on in the middle.

Texas State solidified the result in the 7^th inning by scoring two runs on a Williams double. She scored Kelnar who had walked and Hood who reached via error.

Azua struck out two batters in eight pitches and forced a fly out to end the game, solidifying the 5-1 win.

After today's win, Texas State is now 23-15 on the season and improve to 5-5 in Sun Belt play.

Up Next:
Texas State will continue its road series at South Alabama tomorrow, April 3 at 6 pm. The team will close the series on April 4 at noon. Both those games will be streamed on ESPN+. Texas State will then return home for the second half of the I-35 Battle with UTSA on April 6 at 6 pm. Fans can purchase tickets to that game at txst.com/tickets.