Texas State Softball Defeats Samford; Falls To Cal To End 2016 Season

by, Jen Lawson

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Texas State softball picked up a 2-0 shutout victory over Samford in the first elimination game at the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional before dropping a 4-3 decision to California to end the 2016 season. The Bobcats concluded the season with a 40-22 overall record.

Texas State came alive offensively against the Bulldogs as it scored two runs on seven hits. The Bobcats scored both of their runs in the bottom of the second on four hits.

The victory over Samford marked the 40^th win of the season for Texas State and 30^th win of the year for Randi Rupp. Only four Bobcat teams have reached the 40-win mark and only two pitchers in school history have eclipsed 30 wins.

After California took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, Texas State scored a run in the second and a run in the third to tie up the game at 2-2. The game stayed that way for an inning before the Bears used a pair of infield singles and a single to center in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.

Taylor Webb hit a solo home run to cut the Cal lead in half, 4-3.

The Bobcats tried to rally in the bottom half of the seventh as Kelli Baker drew a two out walk and Kimberlin Naivar reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. A fly ball to right field, however, ended the game and granted Cal the victory to send them to the Regional Championship.

WHO STOOD OUT

Randi Rupp / P / Sophomore / Mont Belvieu, Texas

Rupp threw her 11^th shutout of the season in the 2-0 victory over Samford. Rupp now has 22 complete game shutouts with six combo shutouts in her career. She also struck out 10 in the win against the Bulldogs which is the 12^th time this season and 19^th time in her career. For the day, Rupp finished with 13 strikeouts and just one walk allowed. She ended the season with a 30-14 record and 335 strikeouts which puts her second this season in the NCAA.

Corrina Liscano / 3B / Junior / Pomona, Calif.

Liscano was one of three Bobcats to register hits in both games Saturday. Against Samford, Liscano went 1-for-2 with a walk. Against the Golden Bears, she went 1-for-2 from the plate with a run scored and RBI. Liscano was responsible for scoring Naivar in the bottom of the third inning.

Taylor Webb / RF / Sophomore / Richmond, Texas

Webb led the Bobcats in game one of the day with two hits and a run scored. She registered the first double of the day for Texas State with her team leading 12^th double of the season. In the bottom of the sixth inning against California, Webb hit the first Bobcat home run of the tournament with a solo shot to left field. She was one of three Bobcats with hits in both games.

Jaelyn Young / DP / Sophomore / Murrieta, Calif.

Young was one of three Bobcats to record a hit in both contests. She finished the day going 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and a .600 on base percentage. She also drove in one of the five runs for the Bobcats.

SCORING

GAME ONE

Bottom 2^nd – With one out, Taylor Webb registered the first Bobcat hit of the day with a double to left center. A single by Kendall Wiley down the right field line advanced Webb to third and a wild pitch brought her in to score the first run. A single down the left field line by Jaelyn Young brought Wiley in score from second. (2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on base)

GAME TWO

Top 1^st – California took the early lead with two outs in the top of the first. Back-to-back singles by the Golden Bears set up Kobie Pettis with runners on first and second. Pettis singled to left and advanced on the throw home as the lead runner came around to score. Another single by the Bears brought the second run in. (2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base)

Bottom 2^nd – Corrina Liscano led off the bottom of the second inning with a walk. Liscano advanced to second on a ground out by Webb and came around to score on a single through the left side by Sara Rupp. (1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on base)

Bottom 3^rd – Kimberlin Naivar recorded a one out single up the middle before advancing to second on a ground out by Ortiz. A single to right center by Liscano brought Naivar around to score. (1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base)

Top 5^th – California got runners on the bases after back-to-back infield singles. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Lindsay Rood brought both runners home on a single to center. (2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base)

Bottom 6^th – Taylor Webb hit the only Bobcat home run of the tournament to cut the Cal lead in half. (1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on base)

NOTES

• Texas State won its 40^th game of the season against Samford and that was the fourth time in school history the ‘Cats had reached 40 wins. The other three years were 2001 (54), 2003 (46), 2009 (40).
• Randi Rupp became the second pitcher in school history to reach 30 wins in a season. Nicole Neuerburg was the only other pitcher to reach that milestone (34 wins) and she did so in 2003. The only other at-large bid for Texas State was in 2003.
• All-time in the NCAA Tournament, Texas State is 8-14. The last time the Bobcats got a win in the regional was in 2012 against Bethune-Cookman.
• The Bobcats evened the all-time series against Samford with the win. All-time against Cal the Bobcats are now 2-3.
• Taylor Webb tallied her team-leading 12^th double in the first game of the day. She then hit the only Bobcat home run of the tournament in the bottom of the sixth inning.
• Kelli Baker drew her 98^th career walk in the bottom of the seventh. That total ties the all-time record set by Elizabeth Wissel from 1998-01.
• The seven runs scored in the California vs. Texas State game was the most scored in a game at the Tuscaloosa Regional. The other three games combined for 10 runs total.

RECAP

Texas State finished the 2016 season with a 40-22 overall record and this was the first NCAA Regional bid since 2012. The Bobcats also made it to Championship Game of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the first time since joining the league in 2014. This was head coach Ricci Woodard’s 16^th season at Texas State and she now has a 556-362-1 overall record.