The University Star | Thursday, April 16, 2015 | 3
SPORTS
UniversityStar.com
SOFTBALL, from front By Christian Rodriguez ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @crod9521
HARON SAENZ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Randi Rupp, freshman pitcher, throws the ball against Houston Baptist April 15 at Bobcat Softball Stadium. Rupp pitched a perfect game in the matchup, Texas State’s first in seven years.
Before Wednesday night, the last time a Texas State softball pitcher threw a perfect game was 2008. Randi Rupp, freshman pitcher, changed that when she led her team to a 12-0 victory over Houston Baptist. The freshman threw a total of 81 pitches in a shortened five-inning matchup, earning nine strikeouts and the first perfect game in seven years. “Randi’s been a little frustrated with the way she’s been pitching,” said Coach Ricci Woodard. “I think that was big for her to let go of that frustration and come out and pitch and pitch well.” Rupp understands success from the offense is important. Earlier in the season, Rupp threw a nohitter against Louisiana Monroe, a game in which the offense put up nine runs. “That’s all that I ask, is that they get some runs early,” Rupp said.
“They did a great job offensively in scoring some runs, and out there it helps tremendously having a little bit of confidence with runs on the board.” The pitching was literally perfect for Texas State, and the hitting was not far from it. The Bobcats totaled 14 hits from eight different players in the contest. Woodard recognizes the work her team has put in to attack quality pitches. The offense was a key factor in the success against Houston Baptist. “They’re spending more time working on their hitting,” Woodard said. “That’s all you can ask, is that they spend more time at it, and lucky for us it’s starting to pay off.” Kelli Baker, junior second baseman, made her mark on the game, going three for three at the plate with one run batted in. The leadoff batter used her speed and an awkward bounce of the ball to start the game with a triple. “Yeah, I saw the ball bounced off the wall weird and she wasn’t expecting it, so I took the oppor-
tunity to take three,” Baker said. Kendall Wiley, junior first baseman, was another key contributor on the offensive end. Wiley went three for four with two runs batted in and three runs. The team hopes the pitching and hitting performance the Bobcats displayed Wednesday night carries over into the weekend. Texas State is scheduled to face conference opponent South Alabama in a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday. The Jaguars are ranked No. 22 in the nation and second in the conference behind Louisiana-Lafayette. Baker knows the road trip will be a tough, but she feels the momentum the Bobcats gained will help them get the job done in Mobile. “You definitely want to have a real big game like this,” Baker said. “It’s tough to come back after a loss or a bad game and stay focused at practice the next day, and then you have to travel and it’s still on our mind, so it’s definitely a big thing to be able to play like this before a big conference series.”
BASEBALL By Matt Gurevitz SPORTS REPORTER @Matt_Gurevitz
Humpal will pitch on Friday, and because of the wide range of last year’s results, the outcome is a mystery.
The Texas State baseball team is in the home stretch with three losses in the last four games. The Bobcats will host defending conference champion Louisiana-Lafayette this weekend. A challenge is in store for the team.
LOW EARNED RUN AVERAGE VS. LOW BATTING AVERAGE
LAST YEAR’S RESULTS Texas State and Louisiana-Lafayette played against each other five times last season, and the Bobcats had one victory. Two of the losses came in the Sun Belt Conference tournament, and one was an elimination game for Texas State. The Bobcats were down 4-3 in the eighth inning with the game-tying tying run on third base and one out. A deep fly ball was all that was needed to bring the Bobcats back from a 4-1 deficit. Austin O’Neal, former first baseman, grounded into an inning-ending double play. The last at bat in O’Neal’s college baseball career ended the Bobcats’ season. Memories like these could come to life for the Bobcats when they face off against the Ragin’ Cajuns for the first time since last year’s conference tournament.
LUCAS HUMPAL Texas State started Lucas Humpal, junior pitcher, on the mound last year against Louisiana-Lafayette. Humpal allowed one hit and zero earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched. Texas State lost the game 2-0, but Humpal did what was asked of him. Humpal earned a start against the Ragin’ Cajuns in the tournament due to his success against them in the regular season start. The plan, however, backfired for the Bobcats. The No. 1-seeded Louisiana-Lafayette scored seven runs on 10 hits in 4.2 innings pitched by Humpal, and the Ragin’ Cajuns won 11-4 to send the Bobcats into an elimination game.
STORYLINES TO WATCH: TEXAS STATE VS. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
The team batting average is .235, which is last in the Sun Belt. The Bobcats will look to improve against the Ragin’ Cajuns, who are second-best in the conference with a 3.50 earned run average. Louisiana-Lafayette is first in the Sun Belt with a .239 opposing batting average.
ACTIVE BASE PATHS Teams are not afraid to run on Texas State’s catchers. The Bobcats lead the conference in stolen bases allowed with 62 this season. Louisiana-Lafayette is one of the best teams in the Sun Belt in stolen bases attempts with 74. Tanner Hill, junior catcher, might not catch this weekend because he leads the Sun Belt in stolen bases against with 43.
STANDINGS SITUATION Whoever wins the series will be ahead in the Sun Belt Standings. Texas State is 9-6, and the Ragin’ Cajuns are 8-6. The winner could advance all the way to second in the standings, and the loser could fall all the way to ninth.
WHAT’S NEXT The Bobcats will travel to Austin to play the Texas Longhorns in the second game of their season series on Tuesday. Texas State lost March 24 to the Longhorns 6-4 in San Marcos in the previous meeting. Texas State continues Sun Belt play against Troy on the road next weekend. The Trojans are first in the Sun Belt in stolen bases with 61.
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