Feb. 16 versus Lamar
In a complete team effort, Texas State softball began the I-35 Tournament by thrashing Lamar 9-0 in a five-inning mercy-rule ended at Bobcat Softball Stadium. 
Senior pitcher Tori McCann had a terrific bounce back performance after struggling on Opening Weekend. She threw a complete game only giving up two hits and striking out seven batters setting a season-high for most batters struck out in a single game.
The shutout against Lamar was McCann’s first clean complete game thrown since her freshman season in 2020. 
After a scoreless first two innings the first points of the game came in the third when a double down the infield line by senior infielder Sara Vanderford brought sophomore outfielder Ciara Trahan home. 
The Bobcats offense exploded in the fourth inning, scoring eight consecutive runs. The first came from junior utility Anna Jones, who scored off a Lamar throwing error.
Two at-bats later, junior utility Hannah Earls hit a two-run double into right field, allowing freshman outfielder Emilee Baker and freshman utility Katarina Zarate to score. 
Four more runs were scored over the course of the inning to put the mercy rule in effect following Lamar’s next at bats. 
The game was Texas State’s second shutout of the 2023 season, with the first coming against Kent State on Opening Day in the Texas State Tournament. 
Feb. 17 versus South Dakota State
In the Bobcats second contest of the tournament, they took lost 2-0 to South Dakota State in what was called a ‘pitching duel’ by Texas State head coach Ricci Woodard postgame. 
Both Texas State junior pitcher Jessica Mullins and South Dakota State junior pitcher Tori Kniesche threw complete games.
After getting off to shaky start in the Texas State Tournament on Opening Weekend Mullins responded with a solid performance against the Jackrabbits allowing six hits, two runs, and three walks. She also had seven strikeouts tying the season-high for batters struck out in a single game set by senior pitcher Tori McCann in the team’s previous contest against Lamar. 
However, Kniesche who entered the matchup with a 0.00 ERA continued to be nearly unhittable this season by completeing her fourth shutout performance only allowing two hits to go along with four walks which proved to be the deciding factor in the game’s outcome. 
“I feel pretty frustrated overall but I still hold out hope that this team would have been able to put some runs on the board,” Mullins said following the game. “We just couldn’t capitalize on some of the mistakes they made just as much as they capitalized on ours.” 
South Dakota State junior infielder Cheyanne Masterson scored the game’s first run off a double into left field by fellow junior infielder Tori Tollefson in the second inning. 
In the third inning, South Dakota State junior outfielder Emma Osmundson doubled into left center field, allowed sophomore infielder Mia Jarecki to score the game’s final run. 
“That kid [Kniesche] is going to throw the ball well against us all weekend,” Woodward said. “If we see her again tomorrow, we’re going to have to make adjustments and try to figure out how to attack earlier in the count.” 
Feb. 18 versus South Dakota State
Junior pitcher Karsen Pierce gave up one run in a complete game effort en route to a 3-1 victory over South Dakota State.
The Bobcats responded to the Jackrabbits’ lone run they scored in the third when junior utility Anna Jones and junior utility J.J. Smith hit back-to-back RBI singles in the third inning.
Junior infielder Hannah Earls, freshman utility Katarina Zarate and Jones each had two hits in the win to combine for six of Texas State’s seven. 
Feb. 19 versus New Mexico State
Texas State softball lost to New Mexico State 4-0 to finish off the I-35 Tournament with three wins and two losses.
The Bobcats had zero hits through the first four innings until a double from freshman utility Katarina Zarate advanced runners to second and third base with two outs. The bases were loaded after Texas State freshman catcher Makayla Hall was walked with a full count. A pop fly to third base completed the inning with no runs for Texas State.
“We came out aggressive in game one…and in game two, we tried that [but] I feel like we were getting ourselves out for being too aggressive,” said Texas State head coach Ricci Woodard. “We just never really adjusted and got the momentum of the game again.”
The Aggies pulled ahead in the top of the second inning with two sacrifice fly balls to advance runners on base and bring them to a lead of 2-0. New Mexico State scored one more run in the top of the sixth inning after hitting a home run to center field. The Bobcats retaliated with a hit of their own from junior utility JJ Smith, but unfortunately the Aggies tagged her out on her way to second base.
“We got to find the consistency, day in and day out, from every player,” said Woodard.
The game completed with a total of two hits for the Bobcats and zero runs.