SAN MARCOS, Texas –Christiana McDowell hit a walk-off grounder to score Kennedy Cline as Texas State defeated No. 12/13 Baylor 1-0 Wednesday evening at Bobcat Softball Stadium.

Texas State, which is now 4-0 against Big 12 opponents this season, improved to 30-8 (11-3 Sun Belt) overall on the season. Baylor, which entered the game ranked as high as 12th in the USA Softball Top 25 poll, had its eight-game win streak snapped and fell to 35-7 (8-1 Big 12) overall.

Moreover, the Bobcats' win marked TXST first victory in the series since 2012 and the program's first win against a ranked opponent since downing No. 24 Texas 9-5 on March 2 of last year.

Randi Rupp, the reigning NFCA National Pitcher of the Week, continued her dominate streak with 7.0 innings of three-hit, four-strikeout work. She improved to 20-5 on the season and recorded her eighth complete-game shutout and third in as many starts.

Baylor's Kelsee Selman (18-4) suffered the loss in the circle, surrendering five Bobcat base hits and the earned run.

Cline led off the home half of the seventh with a single up the middle and moved to second two batters later as Bailee Carter singled through the right side. Kimberlin Naivar then worked a nine-pitch at-bat before walking to load the bases with one out. Four pitches later McDowell hit a bouncing ball to second that was enough to score Cline and end the game.

Baylor, which suffered only its fourth shutout of the season, threatened in the fourth as Linsey Cargill led off the inning with a bunt single and Ari Hawkins followed with a fielder's choice that also advanced Cargill. Shelby Friudenberg advanced both runners on a fly ball to center, putting both in scoring position with one out. However, the threat was squelched by Rupp as she struck out Shelby McGlaun on five pitches and got Taylor Ellis to end the inning with a can of corn to center.

Texas State responded with a run-scoring threat in the bottom half as Taylor Webb reached third with two outs, but was left stranded as Haleigh Davis popped up to end the inning. Jaelyn Young led off the TXST at-bat with a single to left and Webb followed with a single. Pinch runner Alex Cruz was then retired at third on Corinna Liscano's fielder's choice bunt. Pinch hitter Lexi Fryar advanced Cruz and Liscano into scoring position with a grounder to short before BU's Kelsee Selma escaped the inning with Davis' pop up.  

Neither team put a runner aboard in the fifth and Texas State's baserunners in the sixth were twice retired at second on fielder's choice plays.

Baylor's Friudenberg led off the seventh with a single through the left side, but moments later pinch runner Madi O'Neal was thrown out by Sara Rupp trying to steal second. A ground out and foul out ended the frame and sent the game into the bottom half scoreless – where TXST would earn its second straight walk-off win over a Big 12 opponent.

 
BOBCATS' STRIKEOUT CANCER GAME SET FOR APRIL 12 VS. BAYLOR
Texas State softball supported the NFCA Strikeout Cancer initiate on April 12 against Big 12 foe Baylor. The game, which was proudly presented by Phi Kappa Psi - Texas Gamma, featured the Bobcats wearing pink jerseys in support of the initiative. Fans wore pink to the game and donated more than $400 to Pink Heals Hays County, which champions the mission of inspiring communities to come together for the love of their people and not one specific disease or cause. For more information, visit PinkHealsHaysCounty.org.
 
UP NEXT
Texas State plays host to No. 17/18 Louisiana for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series starting Friday, April 14. The Bobcats and Ragin' Cajuns are scheduled for a 5:00 p.m. (CT) and 7:00 p.m. (CT) doubleheader on Friday and a single game Saturday at 2 p.m. (CT).
 
FOLLOW THE BOBCATS
For all of the latest news and information on Bobcat softball, visit TXSTATEBOBCATS.com. Fans can also follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/TXStateSoftball along on Twitter (@TXStateSoftball) and Instagram (@TXStateSoftball).
 
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Softball Strong as Steele in Win Over Louisiana Tech

MONROE, La.  -  On a night in which they honored Steele Becton before the game, the ULM softball team used an early RBI to secure a 1-0 victory over Louisiana Tech at Geo-Surfaces Field on Wednesday night.
TURNING POINT
-Jessie Watts' RBI base hit brought in Melanie Coyne in the bottom of the second inning, all the Warhawks needed as Coyne allowed the Lady Techsters just one hit on the evening. 
NOTABLES
-Hunter Hogan and Watts were the only two Warhawks to notch hits in the contest. Watts brought in the only run for ULM with the single.
-Coyne went the distance in the circle, allowing the one hit as she struck out five and only faced four batters over the minimum against Louisiana Tech.
-Tonight’s game was started with the first pitch thrown out by Steele Becton. Steele, the son of former player Lindsay Becton (then Rittenhouse) was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 2. Throwing out first pitch at one of the ULM softball games has become a tradition for Steele over the last four years, stepping into the same cicle that his mom pitched on, to help raise awareness for SMA.
UP NEXT
-The Warhawks return to Sun Belt Conference action to face Troy on Friday and Saturday, with a doubleheader slated for Friday at 4:00 p.m. at Troy. 

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SOFTBALL DROPS MIDWEEK CONTEST AT NO. 7 AUBURN

AUBURN, Ala. - Georgia State (26-15) lost 6-3 Wednesday night at No. 7 Auburn at the Jane B. Moore Field. The Panthers brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but the rally fell short.

Auburn scored the first runs of the game with a big four-run inning in the bottom of the second. The Tigers got an RBI single to go up 1-0 before hitting a bases-loaded double that brought home all three baserunners.

Georgia State threatened with three straight singles to begin the top of the third, but a popout followed by a groundout double play ended the inning with the bases loaded.

Auburn tacked another two more runs in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer by Alyssa Rivera, putting Auburn in front 6-0.

The Panthers got on the board with Ivie Drake’s two-out RBI single in the fifth inning that scored Morgan Brown from second. After Megan Litumbe drew a walk and Taylor Chadwick pinch ran for Drake at second, Kensey Caldwell singled up the middle to score Chadwick and cut the Auburn lead down to four at 6-2.

Georgia State loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh, but Auburn got a big double play to win the game with only one run scoring in the inning.

Georgia State returns to Sun Belt play with a road trip to Coastal Carolina this weekend to face the Chanticleers in a doubleheader on Friday before playing the series finale on Saturday in Conway, S.C.

Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GSU_Softball) for the latest news.