Bobcats beat top ranked Longhorns in historic win

The Bobcats finished the 2023 Bevo Classic with its second upset of the weekend against a top-10 program after defeating Texas 5-4 in extra innings. It would be an RBI triple from Piper Randolph that would seal the deal for the Bobcats in the top of the ninth inning.

To start the day, Texas pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez walked Ciara Trahan. From there, she advanced to second and again to third off a single from Piper Randolph. Next up to bat was Anna Jones who flew out to left field, but Trahan was able to score on the fly out to give the Bobcats the lead.

Texas was able to get on the board in the first inning as well after an error by Sara Vanderford.

Texas State took the lead again in the third inning when Trahan got on base from a single and advanced on a Hannah Earls single and Randolph’s line out. Trahan scored again off Jones' hit, this time a bunt, good for a single.

Texas’ Leighann Goode hit her team an equalizing homerun in the bottom of the third before Mia Scott scored on a single and an error to give the Longhorns the lead after three innings.

The Bobcats pulled the lead back in the fourth, though. Megan Kelnar scored on an error by Texas’ shortstop after hitting a single to get on base and advancing off Trahan’s single. To close out the scoring in regulation for the Bobcats, Trahan scored her third run of the night off a wild pitch.

From there, the game was a deadlock until the bottom of the seventh. With two outs and a full count, Mia Scott singled to the shortstop and allowed for Leighann Goode to score. The Longhorns would force extra innings.

Headed to extra innings both coaches had opted not to play with an international tiebreak rule. Despite Vanderford’s single in the top of the 8th, the Bobcats were unable to score. After eight innings things remained deadlocked at four apiece.

To open the ninth inning, Kelnar flew out to left field and Trahan grounded out. With two outs, Earls stepped up to bat. She would earn another walk that would ultimately be the difference maker in this game.

Next up to bat was Randolph, who tripled down the right field line on her first pitch of the at bat. Earls would score on her run and give the Bobcats the advantage.

Jones would strike out looking to end the inning and the game was back in the hands of 2022 Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year, Jessica Mullins.

The Longhorns hit a single on the first at bat, but that didn’t phase Mullins. The next two batters for Texas would ground out. Mullins would walk the fourth batter up. But the fifth and ultimately final batter for the Longhorns would fly out to center field and the Bobcats would return to San Marcos with their second win against a ranked opponent in two days.

Not only was this Texas State’s first win over Texas since 2018 but the first win over the Longhorns in Austin since 2017.

The victory was also the first time the Bobcats had beat two teams ranked in the Top Ten in program history.

Texas State returns to play today for a doubleheader matchup with the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

The first game starts at 2 p.m. with the second game starting at 4 p.m. at Bobcats Softball Stadium.