The Texas State Bobcats (18-9, SBC 2-1) defeated the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (17-14, SBC 1-2) 10-2 Sunday afternoon at Bobcat Softball Stadium.
The ‘Cats racked up 13 hits scoring 10 runs across five innings. Junior pitcher Madison Azua threw a complete game allowing just six hits and two runs.
The Bobcat offense was hot all afternoon. Senior outfielder Keely Williams went 3-3 with two doubles and two RBI.
Senior shortstop Sami Hood also went 3-3 with two RBI, hitting her second homerun of the season. While senior Aiyanna Coleman was walked in all four of her at bats, and intentionally walked thrice, she still managed one RBI.
The Bobcats took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Williams set the tone with a leadoff double to left field and was quick to score with an infield single from junior third-baseman Kate Bubela and a sac-fly from senior catcher Kamryn Bass.
Texas State’s defense shut the Warhawks down at the top of the second and added two more runs to the score at the bottom.
A single by Hood and a walk drawn by senior Sydney Harvey brought the Bobcats to the top of their order. Another double by Williams scored Hood, followed by a one RBI single by junior Kate Bubela that made the score 3-0.
A single by redshirt freshman Harley Vestal would have extended the Bobcats lead by two, but the runner on third left early ultimately undoing the hit and ending the inning.
The Warhawk’s bats started to heat up in the third as redshirt freshman Olivia Faggard singled. Her hit was followed by two more singles that loaded the bases, and an RBI single by redshirt sophomore Morgan Brown that scored Faggard.
Neither side scored in the fourth, but the fifth inning was an eventful one. At the top of the inning the Warhawks had their first and only homerun of the series, hit by sophomore Hollie Thomas.
Texas State responded with their own solo homerun by Hood that made the score 6-2.
A pitcher change by the Warhawks was followed by a walk and a single by Bass that loaded the bases. Aiyanna Coleman’s fourth base on balls of the afternoon scored one run, and an error by the ‘Hawks defense scored two more.
Zarate drew the fourth walk of the inning to load the bases once more, and sophomore Megan Kelnar walked to get the ‘Cats tenth run to end the game.
The Bobcats will be on the road for the next five games.
They are set to face the University of Houston Cougars with first pitch set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, in Houston The game will be available on ESPN+.
