Texas State eliminates Penn State, advancing to Regional Final

Texas State defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions for the fifth straight time this season 8-4, advancing to the program’s first regional final since 2003. 

The Bobcats trailed 3-2 before scoring six unanswered runs to seal the win. 

“They showed up differently today, not going to lie,” third baseman Sara Vanderford said. “[Bridget Nemeth] looked completely different which made it a little tough. But we stuck by our game plan, because we had beat them four times so why change anything. Just show up, show out and get the dub.”

Locked in a scoreless draw through two innings, Texas State struck the first blow in the top of the third inning after being shut out by Texas A&M in the game before.

Shortstop Hannah Earls reached base on the walk before stealing second with two outs. 

Vanderford connected with an RBI single into right field to score Earls and give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead. 

Vanderford stole second base in the next at-bat which allowed right fielder Anna Jones to hit an RBI single to score the senior, extending the lead to 2-0. 

But the Nittany Lions had a response. 

Following two Bobcat fielder errors, Penn State designated player Audree Mendoza hit a three-run home run and gave the Nittany Lions their first lead of the night. 

After the homer, the Bobcats met up in a team huddle before going back to bat. 

“[We just needed] to stick to our plan,” Vanderford said. “We could not let [the errors] beat us. In the earlier game we beat ourselves so as not to let that happen again and turn around to respond. That is what matters is getting the momentum back in our dugout.”

Earls started off the Bobcat at-bat with a leadoff single before moving to second base on the sacrifice bunt by Emilee Baker. 

Vanderford once again scored Earls on an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3. 

Right fielder Anna Jones hit a single through the left side before center fielder Piper Randolph came up to the plate. With a 2-0 count, Randolph hit an RBI single up the middle, allowing Vanderford to score from second and retake the lead back for Texas State at 4-3. 

Randolph later broke the game open for the Bobcats. In the top of the sixth inning with the bases loaded and two outs, the senior center fielder blasted her first career grand slam to extend the lead 8-3.

Penn State later scored another run but it was not enough as Texas State won 8-4. 

Now the Bobcats will get another shot at Texas A&M though Texas State will need to beat the Aggies twice in a row to qualify for regionals. 

“It was inevitable,” Randolph said. “It is the standard and we have been in this position before. Getting past this game was the most important part. With our nine seniors, we are trying to leave behind a legacy and make history.”

First pitch for Texas State-Texas A&M is set for 2 p.m. tomorrow. If the Bobcats defeat the Aggies, the two teams will play again 30 minutes after the completion of the first game.