SAN MARCOS, Texas – A one-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning gave Texas State a 4-3 victory over Abilene Christian Sunday during the third and final day of the Centurylink Tournament hosted at the Bobcat Softball Complex.
The Wildcats fell to 0-5 with the loss, four of which were by two runs or fewer this weekend. The Bobcats, meanwhile, finished their classic at 5-1 and recorded a pair of wins over both the Wildcats and Oklahoma State Cowgirls. They also beat the Blue Demons of DePaul, but lost to the Lady Demons of Northwestern State.
ACU pitched itself out of several jams during a stretch of five straight scoreless innings, but with the Wildcats clinging to a 3-2 to start the seventh, lead cleanup batter Corrina Liscano homered to tie the score with a solo shot to left-center field. One inning later with two runners on base, shortstop Ariel Ortiz drove home the game-winner in walk-off fashion, dropping a single into right-center field.
ACU had a chance to go ahead in its half of the eighth, however,
Taylor Brown was thrown out at home from second base for the second out, and then Randi Rupp struck out right fielder
Brianna Barnhill with runners at the corners.
The Wildcats started the game in a 2-0 hole as freshman pitcher
Allison Turner was charged with an illegal pitch that brought in the first run followed by a RBI ground out to second. She additionally walked five batters during her 4.1 innings of work and hit two others but kept her team in the game by not allowing any additional runs past the first inning.
The ACU offense capitalized on a pair of Bobcat errors to tie the score at 2-2 in the second, and in the third
Holly Neese singled home Brown from second following her second stolen base of the weekend.
Texas State starter Paige Williams would soon however quiet the Wildcats' offense, surrendering just three more singles through the start of the seventh with no opposing runner advancing past second base.
Julia Montoya replaced Turner following a one-out walk in the fifth and had tossed 1.2 scoreless frames until Liscano went yard in the seventh inning.
Hannah Null then came in to strike out the side in the seventh, but gave up two singles in the eighth.
Freshman Donnelle Johnson recorded the Wildcats' lone extra-base hit of the day – a double – to finish her first collegiate weekend with a team high .417 batting average (5-for-12). Four of her five hits went for extra bases and two were home runs. She also scored five runs, drove in two and stole a base.
Brown hit .412 (7-for-17) and shortstop
Peyton Hedrick batted .333 (5-for-15) with two home runs.
The Wildcats' tournament season continues next weekend in Ruston, La. for games vs. the Bobcats, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi Valley College and Belmont.
