The Texas State softball team fell 4-3 to No. 18 Arizona State University, Feb. 17 at the Littlewood Classic played at the Farrington Softball Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University.
Ariel Ortiz, senior infielder, began with a first inning RBI foul-out. The Sun Devils responded with two in the home half.
Randi Rupp, senior pitcher, had a 1-2-3 inning sending the Bobcats to the fourth. Hailey MacKay, sophomore infielder, drilled her fourth homer of the season to tie the game, but the Bobcats left the bases loaded.
Rupp returned with another 1-2-3 inning, striking out the last two Sun Devil batters. A promising inning ended with a GIDP. The game was tied heading into the home half of the fifth.
Rupp retired 11 in a row and led the Bobcats to sixth. The Sun Devils responded with another double-play as heading into the bottom of the sixth.
In the seventh inning, both teams were tied up at two.
In the eighth, Bailee Carter, freshman second-baseman, came around to score on Tara Oltmann’s, freshman infielder, choice single, leaving the Bobcats a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth.
The Sun Devils scored the tying run in the eighth on a bunt single and error by the Bobcat defense. After a walk, the Sun Devils delivered the knockout blow, an RBI double. The Devils won the game, 4-3.
Rupp gave up two runs within the first three batters of the game. Over the last six-plus frames, she produced three hits and three walks while striking out eight Sun Devil batters.