TEMPE, Arizona – The Bobcats started off the season hosting back-to-back tournaments at home in San Marcos to kick off the year and came out of those tournaments with a record of 8-4. They capped off the second weekend with an impressive win over Texas Tech 8-1 in a game that saw senior pitcher Jessica Mullins pick up her fourth win of the season. The Bobcats brought that momentum with them to Arizona and have picked up three straight wins over host Arizona State, Seton Hall, and Ohio State to kick off the Sun Devil Classic.

Thursday, February 22 (Bobcats-12 Sun Devils-2) The Bobcats kicked off their weekend against the hosting team, the Arizona State Sun Devils on Thursday night and picked up a 12-2 win after putting up six runs in the final inning to put the game out of reach. Texas State took advantage of errors committed by the Sun Devils early in the game to jump ahead 3-0 in the first inning. After adding two more runs in the fifth inning thanks to RBI’s from Piper Randolph and JJ Smith, the Bobcats pushed their lead to 5. The Sun Devils responded with a solo home run from Swan in the bottom of the fifth inning but the Bobcats immediately answered after Anna Jones hit a sac fly to bring in Emilee Baker to put them ahead by five again putting the score at 6-1 heading to the final frame. This is when the Bobcats offense would take advantage of more errors and excellent batting and baserunning to blow the game out of reach and added an additional six runs to put the game at 12-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. The Sun Devils added one more run when it was their turn to bat and the game ended 12-1 in favor of the Bobcats.

Game Summary Pitcher Jessica Mullins improved to 5-1 on the year and ended the game with 6.2 innings pitched, 1 earned run, and 8 strikeouts. Anna Jones and Piper Randolph each had 2 RBI’s. Jones scored 3 times while Ciara Trahan and Karmyn Bass each scored twice.

Friday, February 23 Game 1 (Bobcats-5 Pirates-4) The Bobcats kept things rolling when they took on the Seton Hall Pirates in game 1 of the day and got things started early, just as they did against the Sun Devils the night prior. Ciara Trahan tripled and brought in Hannah Earls and then Sara Vanderford single would allow Trahan to score to give the Bobcats an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. JJ Smith hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning to push the lead to 4, but the Pirates would answer in the fifth inning and made the game a one-run game after putting three runs on the board. In the same inning, Vanderford would respond and drove in Earls to put the Bobcats up by 2 with a score of 5-3 after five innings. The Pirates would score another run in the sixth inning but failed to drive in a runner that they had in scoring position. Madison Azua ended the game with four straight strikeouts to earn her first save of the young season and gave the Bobcats a 5-4 win.

Game Summary Pitcher Analisa Soliz picked up her second win of the season to improve to 2-0 on the year. Soliz ended the game with 4.2 innings pitched, 3 earned runs, and 3 strikeouts. Azua earned her first save and ended the game with 1.1 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, and 4 strikeouts. Tori McCann pitched in between Soliz and Azua and finished the game with 1 inning pitched, 1 earned run, and 1 strikeout. Vanderford and Smith each had 2 RBI’s with Smith hitting her first home run of the season. Hannah Earls had 2 runs scored while Ciara Trahan, Piper Randolph, and JJ Smith each scored once.

Friday, February 23 Game 2 (Bobcats-6 Buckeyes-1) Riding the momentum of a three-game win streak, the Bobcats looked to capture a second big win of the tourney when they faced off with the Ohio State Buckeyes. The game was close in the first half as the teams were tied 1-1 heading into the fourth inning after JJ Smith drove in Anna Jones in the second inning and the Buckeyes scored after Burns drove in Cortelletti in the third inning. After that it was all Bobcats as they added three more runs in the fourth inning after Smith hit a sac-fly that allowed Vanderford to score and throwing errors would allow Kamryn Bass and Anna Jones to score to put the game at 4-1 in favor of the Bobcats. An Emilee Baker single would allow Dani Laughlin to score and Baker would be caught at second base but not before Piper Randolph made it home safely to put the Bobcats up five. This would prove to be enough as the Bobcats cruised to a 6-1 victory over the Buckeyes.

Game Summary Jessica Mullins earned her second win in as many days and improved to 6-1 on the year and finished with 4 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, and 4 strikeouts. JJ Smith had 2 RBI’s and Emilee Baker earned her first RBI of the season. Anna Jones scored 2 runs while Sara Vanderford, Karmyn Bass, Dani Laughlin, and Piper Randolph each scored once.

Next Up The Bobcats will be back in action tomorrow with another doubleheader as they take on Utah Valley and Idaho State in Tempe before heading to Phoenix to take on Grand Canyon.