Texas State softball (10-4) opened day two of the Sun Devil Classic with a matchup against Seton Hall University (1-4). Timely hitting and solid pitching led the Bobcats to a 5-4 win and their third consecutive victory Friday afternoon at Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
The game against the Pirates was the first of a doubleheader.
The Bobcats started the scoring early with their first three batters contributing two runs. Senior utility Hannah Earls led off the game with a double; junior outfielder Ciara Trahan tripled to bring Earls home and graduate student infielder Sara Vanderford singled to plate Trahan.
In the bottom of the fourth, senior utility J.J. Smith doubled the Bobcats’ lead with a two-run homer to put them up 4-0.
The Pirates answered back in the top of the fifth inning by plating three runs of their own to make it a one-run ballgame. Seton Hall senior infielder Lela Allen singled to score graduate student outfielder Miranda Arruda. One batter later senior utility Kelsey Carr doubled to plate two more runs in the forms of junior infielder Jenna Blevins and junior outfielder Amber Johnson.
The bottom of the fifth and the top of the sixth saw the Bobcats and the Pirates trade one run a piece, making the score 5-4. Vanderford doubled for the Bobcats, scoring Earls. Sophomore infielder Andrea Perez singled for Seton Hall bringing sophomore catcher Erin Howard around to score. However, it would not be enough, as the Bobcats escaped with a one-run victory to give themselves a 2-0 record in the tournament.
Sophomore pitcher Analisa Soliz picked up the win in the circle for the Bobcats improving her record to 2-0 on the season. She threw 4.2 innings, giving up three runs on as many hits and struck out three Pirate batters.
Freshman pitcher Madison Azua closed the game for the Bobcats, throwing the last 1.1 innings, striking out three batters in a row and picking up her first save of the season.
Texas State will face Ohio State University (6-1) in the second matchup of Friday’s doubleheader.
