A season-long journey has been completed for the Texas State softball team (44-13, 18-6 Sun Belt Conference) as they sit on top of the Sun Belt Conference after defeating the University of Louisiana–Lafayette (42-17, 22-2 Sun Belt Conference) by a score of 9-5 to win the conference tournament Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Softball Stadium.
The Ragin’ Cajuns entered the contest, having won the past four Sun Belt tournament championships.
From the opening pitch, the energy in Bobcat Softball Stadium was unlike anything else this season. Nearly every seat was filled, fans were standing on the rails, even the Bobcat baseball team was sitting on their outfield wall watching from across the field.
“How about Bobcat Nation? It doesn’t get much better than that,” Texas State Head Coach Ricci Woodard said. “How about [the Texas State softball team], too? They were fun to watch from the get-go.”
The Bobcats came out and put the pressure on the Ragin’ Cajuns early in the opening frame. A couple of hits and some Louisiana-Lafayette defensive errors allowed Texas State to plate three runs in the top of the first inning.
Louisiana–Lafayette answered right away with two runs of its own in the bottom of the first, setting the tone for the kind of game this would be.
The Ragin’ Cajuns added another two-spot in the third inning to take their first lead of the game at 4-3. The Bobcats struck right back for three runs of their own in the fourth inning to regain the lead at 6-4.
The big blow came in the fifth inning from senior infielder J.J. Smith when she belted an opposite-field, two-run home run to put the Bobcats up 8-4. The four-run deficit was too much for the Ragin’ Cajuns to overcome, leading the Bobcats to their first Sun Belt tournament title since 2018.
“Don’t settle. I think that’s what we’ve been really good at,” Texas State graduate student infielder Sara Vanderford said. “No moment’s too big, no moment’s too small, so we just run with that and see where it gets us.”
In the circle, senior pitcher Jessica Mullins did what she’s done all year for the Bobcats: win. Mullins threw a complete game, surrendering 10 hits but limiting the run-scoring to only four.
Mullins picked up her 30th win on the season. According to Woodard, it was never even in question whether or not Mullins would throw a complete game.
During the trophy presentation, Vanderford was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Along with Vanderford, Mullins and Smith were both named to the All-Tournament Team.
Texas State will now look to the NCAA Tournament selection show on Sunday evening to find out their regional fate.
“I think this Bobcat Nation showed out; I think this team showed out,” Woodard said. “I think they’ve put themselves in a spot to host a regional.”
There will be an NCAA Tournament selection show watch party at 6 p.m. at Strahan Arena, free and open to the public.
