Texas State softball went 2-3 in the Baylor Invitational Friday-Sunday against Big 10 and Big 12 opponents, including a win over No. 17 Minnesota to kick off the tournament on Friday.
Following Friday’s win, the ‘Cats took a 1-0 loss to Illinois to conclude the doubleheader and went winless against Minnesota and Baylor on Saturday before ending the tournament with a 2-0 victory over Tulsa on Sunday.
The Bobcats are now 9-5 overall.
SUNDAY
Texas State 2, Tulsa 0
The Bobcats and freshman pitcher Tori McCann finished the tournament as they started on Sunday, with McCann pulling off her second save of the season to give the Bobcats a 2-0 win over Tulsa.
Texas State kicked off scoring in the top of the first inning as junior infielder ArieAnn Bell hit into a fielder’s choice and brought in senior infielder Hailey MacKay for the 1-0 lead.
A hit-by-pitch and three consecutive walks allowed sophomore infielder Samara Lagway to hit home plate for the Bobcats’ second and final run of the game.
Senior pitcher Dalilah Barrera performed a shutout game, allowing just one hit and six strikeouts in five innings to set up McCann. McCann kept the Hurricanes scoreless for the final two innings, securing the win with her second save of the tournament.
SATURDAY
The victory came after a winless Saturday for the Bobcats as they faced Division 1 giants Illinois and Baylor.
Texas State 0, Minnesota 4
Two throwing errors set the Bobcats back as they rematched against No. 17 Minnesota early Saturday, forcing a 3-0 deficit by the third inning. Texas State attempted a comeback with two runners on base by the bottom of the sixth, but a strikeout and two pop flies followed by a Minnesota home run in the seventh sealed the deal with a 4-0 Gopher victory.
McCann kept the game scoreless for the first three innings before allowing four hits and three runs with four strikeouts in four innings. Barrera finished off the game, allowing one run, two hits and cleaning up with six strikeouts in three innings pitched.
Texas State 1, Baylor 2
The ‘Cats then took on tournament hosts Baylor, with both teams fighting to break a 1-1 tie for seven innings until the Bears took the 2-1 victory.
Texas State kicked off scoring early as Bell brought in senior outfielder Christiana McDowell off a single to left field. The Bears retaliated in the same inning to mark a 1-1 standoff that would last until the final inning.
The ‘Cats managed to advance to second in the seventh inning, but Baylor finished the game with a final push of their own as two doubles and a single landed the Bears the win.
Junior pitcher Meagan King kept the game to one run for four innings pitched, allowing six hits and four strikeouts before McCann took the mound to allow one run off of three hits for the final two innings.
FRIDAY
Texas State 3, Minnesota 2
The Bobcats kicked off the tournament by knocking down No. 17 Minnesota in a 3-2 upset on Friday.
Bell started a scoring run for the ‘Cats, bringing in sophomore outfielder Molly Damiani with a double to center field before scoring herself off of a McCann single to give Texas State a 2-0 advantage in the second inning.
A sacrifice bunt by MacKay finalized the 3-0 lead for the Bobcats in the third inning, but Minnesota responded in the same inning as the Gophers’ MaKenna Partain scored a single-run homer.
Both teams went scoreless until the Gophers attempted a last-second comeback in the seventh inning, narrowing the lead to 3-2 before McCann kept the inning to two hits and managed her first save of the season.
Texas State 0, Illinois 1
Despite keeping Illinois to one run throughout the game, the Bobcats were unable to get their bats going as they fell in a 1-0 shutout to conclude their Friday games.
An Illinois homer in the second inning was enough to clinch the win for the Fighting Illini as the Bobcats only mustered one hit by MacKay throughout the game.
Barrera took the mound for the first 4.1 innings of play, allowing one run off of five hits and a strikeout, while McCann finished the last 2.2 innings by allowing zero runs, one hit and two strikeouts.
PREVIEW
Texas State will head to California for the first time on Saturday, facing West Coast opponents Sacramento State, Utah State, UC Davis and St. Mary’s as part of the Capital Classic.
The ‘Cats will kick off the classic against co-tournament hosts Sacramento State at 4 p.m. on Friday in Sacramento, Calif.