After some shuffling of weekend games due to impending weather, the Texas State Bobcats (13-8, 0-0 SBC) let the first of two games against the Tarleton State Texans (16-7, 0-0 WAC) slip away Thursday afternoon at Bobcat Softball Stadium.

After scoring 5 runs at the plate and tossing a no-hitter through four innings, the bottom fell out for head coach Ricci Woodard and her crew as they were left mystified at what they witnessed.

“For half the game, we were lights out,” Woodard said. “We let [Tarleton State] get the momentum. It’s just one of those deals, we need to do a better job of playing seven-inning softball.”

After a pedestrian first inning, scoring was jump-started for the Bobcats with a solo home run by senior first baseman Aiyana Coleman, which opened up the door for a Bobcats three hit, four run second inning. An RBI single by senior catcher Megan Kelnar had Texas State up 5-0 in the blink of an eye.

In the meantime, junior starting pitcher Maddy Azua was dealing in the early going. Four innings of shutout, no-hit softball with six strikeouts to boot.

Yet in the fifth frame, Azua was relieved by senior pitcher Analisa Soliz after the former didn’t seem to tire. Soliz held the lead together, despite surrendering the first two hits of the matchup.

It all came tumbling down in the sixth. Sophomore left fielder Jaelynn Duke and former Bobcat, junior third baseman Braylin Pannill played tightrope with the left foul line with a pair of line drives, which then allowed both to score on a following single up the middle.

A pair of walks loaded the bases for freshman infielder Scarlett Poore, who cleaned house on a no-doubt grand slam into the early evening sky, causing an eruption from the few Tarleton State supporters in attendance. This granted the Texans a lead they would never squander.

The Bobcats will take on the Texans from again at 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 6,  at Bobcat Softball Stadium. The Game will be live-streamed on ESPN+.