TXST Release:
AUSTIN – Texas State softball finished the 2023 season with a 35-25-1 record after a split day in the Austin Regional on Saturday. The Bobcats earned a 4-3 win in an elimination game against Seton Hall to advance to face Texas A&M, where the team ultimately came up short of a comeback, falling 4-2 and ending its season.
Game 1: Texas State softball opened its 2023 Regional appearance with an extra-inning loss to Texas A&M. The Bobcats held a 1-0 lead heading into the seventh inning, but two late-game runs from the Aggies would be the decider. The Bobcats will face the
“We played a good game, good enough to keep us in the ball game,” said head coach Ricci Woodard. “[Texas] A&M played a good enough ball game to keep themselves in things. I thought all the way around, both ball clubs played good ball games.”
The game started off well for the Bobcats when Ciara Trahan singled the second pitch of the game to center field. She’d advance on Megan Kelnar’s bunt, but Sara Vanderford flying out and Karmyn Bass popping up would strand Trahan on second.
Jessica Mullins started in the circle for the Bobcats and allowed two walks and a single to open the game. She’d allow runners in scoring position, but when Kelnar made a play at home things stayed scoreless despite allowing runners on.
Things became a chess match through the middle of the games. Both sides defense showed out and either side had just one hit in the second and third innings.
In the bottom of the third, Woodard opted to bring on Tori McCann in the circle.
“Tori came in and pitched a great couple of innings,” Woodard said. “The plan was always to bring her in in the middle and she did well.”
In the top of the 5th, JJ Smith hit a double to left field on the first pitch of her at-bat for her 6th extra-base hit of the season. She would also be left on, though, after Piper Randolph got out on the next at-bat.
In the 6th the Bobcats scored their lone run of the game. Hannah Earls got on base after an error by the Aggies’ pitcher. She’d advance to second on Trahan’s at-bat and third on a wild pitch. Ultimately, Kelnar flew out to the right field for the sacrifice fly to allow Earls to advance home.
In the 7th the Bobcats nearly had closed the game out but fell just short. Mullins came back in to pitch after the leadoff batter for the Aggies hit a single. From there, the Bobcats had two outs but allowed a run on a first-pitch single by the Aggies.
“The idea was there, the execution wasn’t, and we got beat because of it,” Vanderford said. “If we swing the bats better earlier in the game and make adjustments as coach tells us to do, then we’re not in that spot.”
After the tying run in the 7th inning, the game went to an eighth extra-inning.
The Bobcats went three up, three down and were looking for a defensive showing to close the game, but to no avail. After giving up a triple with two outs, the next batter hit a single on the next pitch to allow the next runner to score and end the game.
“Credit to the Aggies,” Woodard said. “They kept themselves in that game the whole way.”
GAME 2: Texas State 4, Seton Hall 3
Karsen Pierce would start both in the circle and at designated hitter for the Bobcats in the team’s 4-3 win over the Seton Hall Pirates. Pierce pitched two innings and allowed four hits in the game.
The Pirates took the lead first in the game, hitting a home run dead center for two RBI in the top of the third inning. The home run was the first of the Austin regional through the four games played. From there, the Bobcats fought to stage a comeback.
Despite a slew of hits from both sides, it took to the 5th inning for the Bobcats to score any of its runs. The Pirates had 10 hits through five innings, but a strong defensive showing from the Bobcats’ fielders were able to limit the Pirates to just two runs.
Pierce singled to start off the 5th inning for Texas State. Megan Kelnar pinch ran for her but scored off the Ciara Trahan single and fielding error by the Pirates’ right fielder. Kelnar and Zarate scoring on Trahan’s single, good for her 18th and 19th RBI of the season.
To tack on a third, Sara Vanderford would hit a sacrifice fly that Trahan scored off.
Anna Jones hit her third triple of the season in the 6th inning, which she’d score on because of Emilee Baker’s at-bat, to give the Bobcats the 4-2 lead.
The Pirates loaded the bases in the top of the 7th, but after just one more run was scored, the Pirates would line out right at Hannah Earls who made the play to end the game.
“Credit to Seton Hall,” said head coach Ricci Woodard. “They out played us, they out hit us, the only thing they didn’t do was out score us.”
GAME 3: Texas State 2, Texas A&M 4
The Bobcats saw a familiar foe in the second elimination game of the day. After losing to the Texas Longhorns, the Texas A&M Aggies once against squared off against the Bobcats on McCombs Field.
The Bobcats once again went down 2-0 in the fourth inning. After Koko Wooley doubled to left center to help their runner score the first, the Aggies tacked on a second with a sacrifice fly.
In the fifth, the Aggies snuck two more onto the board with a single through the left side. The Bobcats were able to get an out on the play, but not before two more runs were scored.
It was once again off the bat of Jones in the 6th inning that the Bobcats would earn a run. She doubled to left center and was out at third on the play, but her hit allowed Vanderford and Earls to score and draw the game closer.
The comeback would fall just short, though, despite a great defensive showing in the 7th inning to keep the Aggies from extending their lead. The Aggies attempted at the sacrifice fly, but when Jones caught the ball out in the right field, she was able to laser the ball to Kelnar at home who got the runner out on the play to end the inning.
The Bobcats got two on base in the 7th, but two strike outs and a Jones’ ground out ended the game and the season with the 4-2 loss to Texas A&M.
With the two losses to Texas A&M the Bobcats 2023 season officially comes to a close. The team finished with a 35-25-1 record and a 5th place finish in the Sun Belt Conference, qualifying for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time in program history.
A special thanks to Texas State student photographer Sarah Manning for her spring sports photo contribution to the website.
