Senior pitcher Emma Strood battled the flu earlier in the season which limited her availability for the Bobcats.
Now getting back to full strength, Strood showed her full potential by throwing a no-hitter and having a perfect game through the seventh inning before a controversial called walk ended the attempt.
“I was just feeling really good today,” Strood said. “We weren't expecting to play today, so we got a little bit more rest and we were supposed to have practice, but we came out, I felt really good today and my stuff was working.”
Strood struck out 12 batters, allowing no hits and one walk in the Bobcats 7-0 win over the St. Francis Red Flashes to start the San Marcos Showdown tournament.
It is the first no-hitter since Jessica Mullins in 2024 and the 21st no-hitter in program history.
Recovering from the flu, Strood has worked with pitching coach Josh Trevino in working her way back into the pitching circle.
“I was pretty sick, but I came back and Josh [Trevino] has really helped me work back to getting in rhythm,” Strood said. “I didn't feel as sharp as I normally do, so he's really taking the time to work with me and get back to where I feel comfortable.”
Head Coach Ricci Woodard was proud of not only her senior pitcher but the team as well for maintaining the perfect game through seven innings.
“She was lights out tonight,” Woodard said. ”I thought it was a total team effort to help her. The energy was good, and sometimes you don't get that when you're playing a team that you don't really know who they are. I thought the energy was good to keep her fired up and she did a good job of just attacking hitters tonight.”
Freshman Harley Vestal scored the first run for the Bobcats on an RBI double in center field, giving Texas State a 1-0 lead.
The Bobcats struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Sami Hood hit a two-run RBI double. Later in the at-bat, Texas State took advantage of a St. Francis fielding, scoring a run to make it a 4-0.
The Bobcats scored on another error by the Red Flashes, making it a 5-0 game.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Mel Reeves connected with an RBI double in left field followed up by another RBI double by Hood as the Bobcats went up 7-0.
“We made some great adjustments,” Woodard said. “Sami Hood finally did exactly what we brought her in here to do, hit both gaps and hit the ball hard so hopefully that'll get her going. But it's just nice to see us make adjustments at the plate as the game went on, and that's not always what we've been able to do so far this year.
“That's one of the things we keep preaching is we have to make pitch to pitch adjustments now at this point of the year, not at bat to bat.”
Texas State continues play at the San Marcos Showdown Friday against Tarleton State.
