Texas State softball ended its regular season Friday with a doubleheader against Appalachian State. Following a 13-12 loss, the Bobcats claimed the series with a dominant 15-1 run-rule win.
Texas State (36-19, 16-8 in conference) will not catch Louisiana at Monroe or Marshall in the Sun Belt standings, which have 17 wins. But they head into the Sun Belt Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the conference, having gone 13-3 to end the season.
With that — and a strong non-conference slate — the Bobcats are ranked 30th in RPI, and are on track to make the NCAA Tournament. Here are some takeaways from their series against the Mountaineers.
Texas State infielder Katarina Zarate connected with a pitch in the first inning of Game 3, sending it into deep centerfield. Appalachian State outfielder Dakota Daniel struggled to track the ball, which eventually bounced off her glove and over the wall. Zarate shrugged her shoulders as she trotted around the bases.
It was that kind of series for Zarate, who went 5-for-10 at the plate through three games with three home runs and six RBIs. Texas State’s strong play has coincided with the infielder’s hot streak. Her batting average sat at .220 on April 3 and has now reached .270. Her 10 home runs are second on the team behind infielder Aiyana Coleman.
Opponents tend to walk Coleman, wary of her power and bat-to-ball skills. But Zarate sits right behind her, and the combination of the two in the batting order puts pitchers in a dilemma.
Texas State catcher Megan Kelnar has struggled at the plate for most of the season. But the App. State series put some confidence in her bat, as she went 4-for-6 with five RBIs in the final two games.
Kelnar capped things off in Game 3 with her first home run of the season, a two-run shot that gave the Bobcats a 15-1 lead. It’s only her third multi-hit game this season.
Kelnar is capable of being a quality hitter. She recorded a .334 batting average and a .817 on-base plus slugging percentage as a junior. Her performance against the Mountaineers might be just what she needed before postseason play.
The Bobcats will have one last chance to add another Sun Belt Championship to their trophy case before heading to the Pac-12. Doing so would guarantee a bid, but Texas State likely won’t have to worry about losing it, regardless. Wins over Texas Tech and Texas A&M have given Texas State a cushion, even if they lose in the quarterfinals.
The Bobcats will be the third seed in the tournament. Southern Miss could tie with Texas State in conference record by winning its final two games, but Texas State won the head-to-head series, which would be the tiebreaker. The first game will be Thursday at 10:00 a.m. against the sixth seed in Lafayette, La.