Texas State softball (26-17 overall, 10-8 Sun Belt) extended its winning streak to six after a 12-0 victory over the University of the Incarnate Word (13-27 overall, 3-6 Southland) Wednesday evening.
Texas State, which has won three of its last four games in just five innings, had one of the best single-inning performances in program history after scoring all 12 of its runs during the fourth inning. Shortly after earning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week, sophomore pitcher Jessica Mullins finished the game with six strikeouts and only gave up two hits. The Bobcats have also shut out their opponents four games in a row.
“In typical coach fashion, I wish they would’ve spread those runs out a little bit throughout the game instead of the one inning where we went big, but that’s kind of how our sport works,” Head Coach Ricci Woodard said. “If a team can control the damage every inning, it usually wins but that was kind of fun to watch, especially after how we came out and performance during last night’s game, too.”
After picking up three hits through three innings, Texas State sophomore utility Anna Jones picked up the Bobcats’ fourth hit which seemed to have given the ‘Cats a spark during the bottom of the fourth. This was followed by a two-run homer over the left-field fence by senior catcher Caitlyn Rogers during the bottom of the fourth. This was the first time Rogers has hit a home run in back-to-back games in her collegiate career.
After a few more at-bats, junior pitcher Tori McCann was hit by a pitch, allowing the Bobcats to load the bases. On the following play, senior outfielder Kylie George received an RBI, resulting in another score by sophomore outfielder Piper Randolph.
The Bobcats kept pouring it on after that. Senior catcher Cat Crenek became the first Bobcat softball player since junior infielder Sara Vanderford in 2018 to hit a grand slam when she hit a homer to left field which ballooned Texas State’s lead up to seven. George, McCann and sophomore infielder Claire Ginder all scored on the homer.
Also in the fourth inning, Randolph hit a bases-loaded double to left-center-field, resulting in scores from Rogers, Jones and Vanderford, giving the Bobcats an 11-0 lead. Senior infielder Samara Lagway went on to score Randolph from third base which capped the Bobcats’ scoring.
Nine different Bobcats scored in the fourth inning in the 12-0 victory against the UIW Cardinals.
Texas State looks to continue its winning streak as it’s set to face Georgia Southern in a three-game series. The series matchup kicks off at 5 p.m. on Friday at Eagle Field in Statesboro, Georgia. The series will stream on ESPN+.