Bobcats and #2 Texas Battle to the End

By Tyson Taylor

KTSW Sports Reporter 

The Texas State Bobcats (12-5) went down to the wire with the #2 Texas Longhorns (13-1) on Wednesday night, ending in a close 1-0 loss. 

Even though the Bobcats came into this matchup unranked, they gave the number two team in the nation fierce competition. This is the first time the Longhorns have been held to just one run all season. 

The duel between Texas State pitcher Jessica Mullins and Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan started in the top of the first inning. Jessica Mullins pitched the entire game for the Bobcats and ended the night with five strikeouts and two walks in seven innings. Longhorn Teagan Kavan also pitched a complete game, finishing the game with nine strikeouts and one walk. 

Base hits were hard to come by in this matchup, as there were only three combined for both teams at the end of the third inning. However, in the fourth inning, the Longhorns would score their lone run of the night. Longhorn Katie Stewart hit a double down the right-field line to get on base. Then Joley Mitchell followed up with a single to left field, which would bring Stewart home. 

The Bobcats almost answered the Longhorns when Ciara Trahan got into the scoring position at third base. She walked and then advanced to second with a sac bunt from Sara Vanderford. She would then make it to third base off an uncaught pitch, but would not be able to make it home. Anna Jones grounded out, and Karmyn Bass got out on a pop fly. 

Texas State’s Hannah Earls earned the last hit for the Bobcats with a single in the sixth inning. She would then steal second and advance to third base off a Longhorn error. However, Earls could not make it home, as Jones grounded out to end the sixth inning. This is the first time the Bobcats have been shut out this season. 

Texas State Head Coach Ricci Woodard shared her thoughts following the one-run game. 

“I thought we competed well. That’s a good ball club over there, and I thought Mullens threw the ball as well as she could possibly throw to keep us in a ball game and give us a chance to win,” said Woodard. “We had a chance to win. You can’t really ask for more than that except for hitting two runs to their one.” 

The Bobcats play their next game on Friday, March 1st, at 4:30 p.m. against UTEP in the first matchup of the Texas Tech Tournament held in Lubbock, Texas.