Bobcats Split Doubleheader With Georgia State

Texas State next plays host to Texas on Wed., April 5. First pitch is slated for 6:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on Spectrum Sports, available on channel 323 in Texas.

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State softball split a Sun Belt Conference doubleheader on Saturday with the Bobcats winning game one 7-5, then falling to Georgia State 4-0 in game two.

Texas State is now 25-8 on the season and 8-3 in Sun Belt play, while Georgia State ran its record to 24-12 overall and 9-3 against league foes.

Game One Recap

Texas State scored seven runs on 12 hits, including six with runners in scoring position, to defeat Georgia State 7-5 in game one of the day’s doubleheader.

Ariel Ortiz led the Bobcats at the plate finishing 3-for-4 with a single, double and triple and two RBI. Alex Cruz also totaled two RBI as she was officially 1-for-2 with a walk. Christiana McDowell collected her fifth multi-hit game of the season with a single and double.

Quincy Charleston (5-1) totaled 6.1 innings in the circle, allowing only two earned runs, to earn the win.

Texas State scored the first runs of the game in the second, plating three. Corinna Liscano was the first to touch home, scoring on Kennedy Cline’s double to the left-center field gap. Cline then scored on a Panther fielding error during a rundown between third and home. Cruz, who reached base on a walk, counted the Bobcats third run on Bailee Carter’s RBI single to right.

The Bobcats added three more runs in the third to take a 6-0 advantage. McDowell led off the frame with a double and Ortiz immediately followed with a stand-up triple to plate McDowell. Jaelyn Young, Liscano and Haleigh Davis then reached in succession to load the bases. Alex Cruz took advantage to the bases loaded opportunity with a two RBI single up the middle.

McDowell made it 7-0 in the Bobcats’ favor, scoring on Ortiz’s RBI Double in the fourth. McDowell reached on her second hit of the game, while Ortiz tallied her third base knock in as many at-bats.

Georgia State cut its deficit to 7-2 with two run in the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Brenna Skalski doubled to left center to count the Panthers’ first two RBI of the game. The Bobcats then turned to Jodi Paige Williams out of the bullpen. Williams responded with two ground outs to end the inning and strand GSU runners on second and third.

The Panthers shrunk the Bobcats’ lead to 7-5 with three runs in the six. Back-to-back singles to lead off the inning were followed by Megan Litumbe’s RBI double. GSU scored its next two runs via a RBI ground out and a sacrifice fly to right field.

Georgia State’s Amanda Chance (5-4) suffered the loss, giving up four runs (three earned) in her 2.0 innings in the circle.

Game Two Recap

Georgia State downed the Bobcats 4-0 in game two. The Panthers scored one run in the first and three-fourth inning to take the series win 2-1.

The Panthers’ Kinsley Jennings was perfect through four innings in limiting the Bobcats to four hits in the shutout. She improved her record to 11-4 on the campaign.

Georgia State totaled eight hits in the game, including three in the three-run fourth. Of those eight hits, three belong to leadoff hitter Morgan Brown, who went 3-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored.

Texas State put runners on base in each of the final three innings, but could not advance past second.

Georgia State scored in the first inning for the 1-0 lead as Ivie Drake doubled to right center to bring home leadoff batter Morgan Brown. The Bobcats avoided a potential big inning by the Panthers as Rupp worked out of a no-out, runners on second and third situation with a popup, ground out and inning-ending K.

The Panthers took advantage of two TXST errors and three infield singles to score three runs in the fourth for a 4-0 lead.

Texas State did not have a base runner until Jaelyn Young singled through the left side to lead off the fifth inning. Young would move to second two batters later as Kennedy Cline was hit by a pitch. However, GSU’s Jennings kept the Bobcats scoreless with two fly outs.

The Bobcats again left two on base in the home half of the sixth as Jennings pitched around back-to-back TXST singles to escape the inning unscathed.

Randi Rupp (15-5) was saddled with the loss for the Bobcats. She pitched 7.0 complete, gave up only a single earned run and struck out seven.

BOBCATS GO4THEGOAL BY LACING UP FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER AWARENESS ON APRIL 5

Texas State softball and baseball will support the Go4theGoal organization by participating in Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer games on April 5. Both games will be played in San Marcos with softball hosting Texas (6 p.m.) and baseball UTRGV (6 p.m.).

Both program will wear gold shoe laces in support of the initiative.

Fans are encouraged to wear gold to the games and will have a chance to donate to Go4theGoal’s mission of improving the lives of children battling cancer by providing financial support, developing and implementing unique hospital programs, funding innovative research and granting personal wishes. For more information, visit GO4THEGOAL.ORG.

FOLLOW THE BOBCATS

For all of the latest news and information on Bobcat softball, visit TXSTATEBOBCATS.com. Fans can also follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/TXStateSoftball along on Twitter (@TXStateSoftball) and Instagram (@TXStateSoftball).