The Bobcat softball team came into the second game of their Friday night doubleheader at home against UTSA badly needing a win for a number of reasons. First, the immediate need for Texas State was some momentum as the team came in off of a dramatic extra-inning 3-2 loss to their rivals in the first game of the doubleheader where the offense was sorely lacking and a lack of fielding fundamentals almost directly cost the Bobcats the game. Therefore, it was definitely a welcome relief to watch the ladies get their bats and gloves working again as Texas State eliminated most of the mistakes that cost them the previous game and cut their I-35 rivals down to size by a final score of 4-1.
Despite the team's eventually dominant performance, things didn't seem very certain early as starting pitcher Katie Garnett got herself into a bases-loaded jam in the first inning. However, Alex Newton made an outstanding play by grabbing a tough grounder on the run and stepped on second base just in the nick of time to get a streaking Danye Holmes for the third out, and that's when it seemed like the Bobcats hadn't lost their fight quite yet.
An ineffective bottom 1st and another UTSA hitting spurt in the top of the 2nd caused some more early tension, but UTSA again left three runners on base and that's when the fireworks started. McKenzie Baack and Chandler Hall reached 2nd and 3rd base and Ali McCormack brought them home on the wildest and probably most unfortunate triple that fans will likely ever see.
You may wonder why I say "unfortunate," and that is because UTSA center fielder Rudi Cantu and right fielder Leanne Risberg collided in right center field chasing McCormack's shot to the outfield. McCormack could have had an inside-the-park home run if the umpires had not called an injury timeout, but it was absolutely the right call to make. After a few minutes of regaining her composure while lying down Risberg was thankfully able to walk and return to the game under her own power; Rudi Cantu's situation was much scarier as she lay sprawled on the ground for over 10 minutes. Much to the relief of everyone watching, she was finally able to return to her feet with the help of her trainers and hobble into the front seat of the medical cart, however Cantu would not return for the rest of the game. There is no word on her condition as of yet and we hope that she will fully recover as soon as possible.
After Texas State took the 2-0 lead, UTSA fought back with a run of their own in the top of the third, but that was the last we would ever see a consistent spark out of the Roadrunners. Starting pitcher Danye Holmes, who was on her last legs after pitching for nearly 7 and a half innings straight continuing from the previous game, was lit up once again for two runs as Alex Newton and Jenna Emery scored on a pair of RBI's from the Hall sisters. That's when Katie Garnett took over.
The senior Temple College transfer from Elgin only gave up 2 hits in four innings as she forced the visitors into the same sort of offensive struggle that plagued Texas State in the previous game, namely a streak of ineffective pop-ups and groundouts. UTSA's hitters might have been frustrated by then as well as they had left 8 runners on base in the first three innings, but don't let that take anything away from Garnett's performance as she just frustrated them even further.
This win was a big one as Texas State ended the day in the exact same position as they started in the SLC standings with a somewhat comfortable two-game lead over Nicholls and McNeese. UTSA, however, saw their chance to catch up with their conference-leading rivals become much more out of reach. Even more importantly was the self-confidence boost that a dominant win like this can give an outstanding team like this Bobcat softball squad to help offset a tough loss.
Texas State improves to 27-13, 15-5 SLC while UTSA falls to 21-19, 14-9 SLC.
Will Butler- KTSW Sports Staff Writer
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