Bobcats fall to No. 22 Baylor in extra innings

An extra inning homerun was enough to spoil the upset as the Texas State Bobcats fell to the No. 22 Baylor Bears 3-2.

Despite the loss, Head Coach Ricci Woodard was proud of the team for improving their play from last weekend’s series against South Alabama.

“Tonight was a much better ball game for us,” Woodard said. “We’ve lost a ton of one-run ball games but tonight’s the group that I like right there. They came out fired up, the came out and swung the bats well. Mc-Cann pitched well. [Baylor] just out-executed us when it came down to it at the end of the game.”

Despite taking the loss, starting pitcher Tori Mc-Cann pitched eight innings while allowing just eight hits, two runs, one walk, and throwing two strikeouts.

“McCann threw a great game and kept us in it the whole time,” Woodard said. “To throw that many innings when she hasn’t been, I thought she did a great job.”

After a scoreless first inning, Baylor took the first lead of the game as a sac fly towards center field allowed one run to score as the Bears went up 1-0.

Texas State answered back in the bottom of the third inning as third baseman Sara Vanderford hit an RBI single up the middle to score outfielder Ciara Trahan as the Bobcats tied the game up at 1-1.

In the fifth inning, Trahan was able to take first base following a Baylor throwing error.

After advancing to second base on the sac bunt by shortstop Hannah Earls, Trahan stole third base to give Texas State a prime opportunity to take the lead with one out.

Outfielder Piper Randolph took advantage of the scoring opportunity as the junior hit the ball towards right field to score Trahan and put the Bobcats out in front at 2-1.

The seventh inning saw the Bears connect on a single and a walk to start the inning giving runners on first and second.

Despite Texas State gaining two outs in the inning, Baylor connected with a clutch two out hit up the middle to tie the game up at 2-2.

Though Baylor had a chance to retake the lead, the Bobcats were able to force a pop-up towards second baseman Katarina Zarate to end the inning.

With the Bobcats unable to score in the seventh inning, the game went into extras as Bears capitalized with a solo home run to retake the lead and win the game.

As the Bobcats prep for a long road, Woodard believes the team can push through the low point if the Bobcats continue to play hard as they did against Baylor.

“If you look at how we’ve been playing,” Woodard said. “Even the game we won on Saturday, I don’t feel like that was as good of a ball game as what we just played. I feel like if we keep putting the pieces together it’ll fall, at some point, our way.”

Texas State is back on the road this weekend as the Bobcats make the long trip out to Boone, North Carolina to battle the App State Mountaineers.

First pitch is 5 p.m.