(Photo Courtesy of Texas State Athletics)
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – A walk-off home run by sophomore Katie Doerre in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Texas State softball team its second victory of the day as the Bobcats defeated No. 23 California by a score of 4-3 on Saturday. In game one, the Bobcats defeated host school San Diego State by a score of 4-2, using a big fifth inning to propel past the Aztecs.
Texas State improved to 7-2 overall with the afternoon sweep.
The Bobcats threatened early against the Aztecs as Kelli Baker and Timishia North used back-to-back singles to get on base in the first inning. Those runners would advance as far as second and third with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts by San Diego’s Andi Smith would silence Texas State’s chance of getting on the board in the first.
In the bottom of the first, San Diego State capitalized on three walks by Bobcat starter Ashley Wright by scoring two runs on just one hit, taking the early lead against Texas State.
Two innings of scoreless action later, the Bobcats put together a series of hits to get themselves on the board in the top of the fourth. The inning started with a single by cleanup hitter Courtney Harris through the left side followed by Delia Saucedo managing to get on base after an error by the Aztec third baseman. Junior transfer Kortney Koroll followed that up with a single, advancing the Bobcat runners to second and third. With two outs, senior Jordan Masek singled to left field, scoring the first Bobcat run of the game.
With one swing of the bat by Koroll, the Bobcats took over the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Koroll scored Saucedo and Harris, who reached base on a pair of fielder’s choice, after her three-run shot to center field.
Ashley Wright earned the victory against the Aztecs, putting in seven completely innings of work on the amount while allowing just two runs and four hits. North finished the game going a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate while Koroll finished the game with two hits and one walk.
In the second game of the day, Texas State’s Rayn House recorded two innings of scoreless action before the Bears got on the board first in the third inning.
Texas State countered back in the fourth, putting up a three spot with the help of Koroll hitting her second long ball of the day. The inning started when Harris managed to get on the base paths with a walk. Saucedo once again singled for the Bobcats, moving Harris around to third. The first run of the inning occurred when pinch runner Alli Akina stole second, which in return forced a throwing error by the Bears catcher that ultimately allowed Harris to come home. With Akina standing on second, Koroll hit a long shot to right center, giving Texas State the 3-1 lead.
House and the Bobcat defense continued to shut down the Bears, holding them to just the one run through six innings. In the top of the seventh with two outs, California used a double-home run back-to-back combination to tie up the ball game at three apiece. House proceeded to walk the next batter, but would get out of the inning on a fly out to right field.
As the first batter up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, Katie Doerre hit her first home run of the season and fifth of her career to lift the Bobcats past the No. 23 California Bears.
Texas State finished the game with just four hits while California recorded 11 of them. House improved to 5-0 on the year, putting in all seven innings of work with one strikeout. Doerre finished the game with two of the Bobcats four hits.
The Bobcats will wrap up the Campbell/Cartier Classic tomorrow morning against South Dakota. First pitch in San Diego is scheduled for 11 a.m.
