Bobcats hand Louisiana first conference loss to avoid sweep

No. 22 Texas State avoided the sweep and handed the No. 21 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns their first conference loss of the season with a dominant 5-0 win.

After losing both Game 1 and Game 2 in blowout fashion, defeating the Cajuns was needed as the Bobcats head into the final stretch of the regular season. 

“We just had to review how we played the last two days,” Starting pitcher Mullins said. “Where did we go wrong, where did we go right, and how do we capitalize on what we did right while doing better on what went wrong. It was just a whole 180 turnaround and that was what we needed going into the rest of conference play. I believe we did a really good job of bouncing back.”

In the top of the first, Louisiana looked to be in position to score when Cajun second baseman Alexa Langeliers hit a two-out single into left center field with a runner on first base. 

The base runner advanced to home plate looking to give the Cajuns a 1-0 lead to start the game but the relay throw from left fielder Sidney Harvey to second baseman Katarina Zarate to catcher Megan Kelnar was in time. Kelnar tagged out the runner to keep the Cajuns off the scoreboard. 

To out proved critical for the Bobcats. In the bottom of the second inning, Texas State loaded the bases with one-out. 

On the next at-bat, Zarate connected with a two-run RBI double down the third base line scoring two runs as the Bobcats not only took their first lead but also scored their first runs of the three game series.

“That is a sign of her maturity,” Head Coach Ricci Woodard said. “She didn’t have a good game yesterday. In fact I pulled her. So for her to come back out and do what she did today tells you what kind of player she is capable of and what we are expecting of her for the next two years.”

With runners on second and third, catcher Megan Kelnar kept up the attack on the next at-bat. 

Kelnar connected with her own two-run RBI double giving the Bobcats a 4-0 lead.

“I feel like one through nine we are really good offensively,” Woodard said. “Just sometimes we don’t put it all together all the time. I don’t care which part of the lineup it is that gets the key hits but today it was towards the bottom of the lineup which is always nice.”

The Bobcat defense did their part in the win stranding seven base runners. 

“We didn’t set the tone on defense but rather set the tone in the locker room,” Mullins said. “We did what we had to do to get it done and do what it takes to get there. It was a full team [effort] and not just the defense.”

Mullins, on her Senior Day, threw a complete game shutout allowing just four hits, two walks, no runs and striking out five batters. 

““To me, it means the world to me,” Mullins said. “Even when my family is not able to make it, all these fans are my family. Just being able to come out here every single day, Louisiana or not, and win. I love this team and these people, the atmosphere and we just have to keep riding.”

Zarate capped off the game in the sixth inning with a solo home run blasting the ball over the fence in right field and near the railroad tracks to make it 5-0. 

Texas State will enter a seven-game road trip starting with the final mid-week game of the season. The Bobcats travel down into enemy territory in a showdown with the archrival UTSA Roadrunners. 

First pitch is set for Wednesday night at 6 p.m.