Texas State softball (17-3 overall, 2-0 Sun Belt) defeated the Appalachian State Mountaineers (11-10 overall, 0-5 Sun Belt) 4-3 and 8-3 in back-to-back games on March 21.
The pair of victories in Texas State’s first conference matchups of the season increased its win streak to 10.
The Bobcats came out hot in the first inning as a run from freshman utility Hannah Earls and an RBI single by junior catcher Cat Crenek put them up 2-0.
Freshman pitcher Jessica Mullins held her own early, retiring three straight batters at the bottom of the first before a trio of strikeouts in the second inning.
At the top of the third, a throwing error allowed Texas State to extend its lead to 3-0.
An RBI single by senior infielder Keri White put App State on the scoreboard at the bottom of the third. The Mountaineers cut the deficit to 3-2 as senior catcher Baylee Morton sacrificed a fly-ball to bring in a runner.
A double by Earls brought the score to 4-2 in the fourth inning. The Mountaineers then hit two straight doubles, forcing Texas State to sub out Mullins for senior pitcher Meagan King. Despite two runners on base, Texas State escaped the inning without allowing a run.
The score remained the same until the bottom of the seventh when App State scored an unearned run to bring the game to 4-3. It was not enough as Texas State finished the inning off with a strikeout and double play.
For Texas State, sophomore infielder Sara Vanderford went 2-4 with two runs and Earls was 2-4 with an RBI and a run. Mullins grabbed her eighth win of the year while sophomore pitcher Tori McCann earned her first save of the season.
The second contest between the two teams started a half-hour later, with the Mountaineers taking an early lead.
At the bottom of the second, White hit a single, allowing senior outfielder Gabby Buruato and senior infielder Sidney Russell to score. An unearned run by sophomore outfielder Emily Parrott gave App State a 3-0 lead.
Texas State got on the board 3-1 in the third inning as Vanderford hit a fly-ball out to right field, allowing senior outfielder Arieann Bell to get to home plate.
An unearned run plus a two-run homer by Bell gave the Bobcats a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning.
Both teams struggled to gain an advantage. The Mountaineers came close at the bottom of the sixth as they had the bases loaded with no outs. Mullins kept her composure as she struck out two batters and earned a third out to end the inning unscathed.
The Bobcats opened up the flood gates in the seventh inning. Senior infielder Tara Oltmann hit a grand slam to give Texas State an 8-3 lead, putting a dagger in App State.
For the game, Bell went 2-3 with a home run, Oltmann was 1-4 with a grand slam and Earls was 2-4 with a run.
Texas State senior pitcher Dalilah Barrera clinched her first win of the season and did not allow a run in three innings. Mullins earned her second save of the year along with three strikeouts.
The Bobcats will continue their road stint in a three-game series against the Georgia State University Panthers. Georgia State is coming off three straight losses to Troy University and looks to redeem itself.
The Bobcats have a .316 batting average and a .382 on-base average, while the Panthers hit a .281 batting average with a .378 on-base average.
Sophomore infielder Daisy Hess has been the top slugger for the Panthers as she leads the team in hits (27), runs (24), RBI (29), doubles (8) and home runs (6).
Vanderford provides a similar presence, leading the Bobcats in hitting percentage (.473), hits (26), runs (18), RBI (20) and doubles (11).
The Panthers’ pitching unit has a 3.69 earned run average with 95 strikeouts. On the other hand, Texas State sports a 1.73 earned run average with 116 strikeouts.
Mullins enters the matchup with an 8-2 record, a 1.39 earned run average, 69 strikeouts and two saves.
Texas State will face Georgia State in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on March 23, followed by a single-outing at 2 p.m. on March 24. All three games will take place at the Robert E. Heck Softball Complex in Atlanta.