Texas State secured a spot in the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship with a 10-2 run-rule victory against Coastal Carolina on May 8, following a nearly four-hour delay.
The win allows Texas State to advance in the tournament and brings their season record to 38-19. The game was highlighted by strong offensive performances, including a player who went three-for-three at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Another player contributed three RBIs with her home run, which extended the lead to 9-2 in the fourth inning.
Maddy Azua started as pitcher for Texas State, opening her day with two strikeouts and limiting early damage despite allowing one run. In their first at-bat, Texas State responded with a two-out rally that resulted in four runs from six consecutive hits, including a two-run home run by Zarate and RBI singles from teammates.
Azua continued her performance by adding three more strikeouts through the second and third innings. Coastal Carolina managed to score again in the top of the fourth inning. However, another rally from Texas State in the fifth widened their lead further. A leadoff single followed by an error loaded the bases before Harvey scored on a passed ball. A subsequent single made it 6-2 before another home run brought in three more runs for Texas State.
Relief pitching came into play in the sixth inning as another Bobcat pitcher recorded two strikeouts during her outing. The game concluded when four walks loaded the bases for Texas State, leading to a walk-in final run that invoked the run rule at 10-2.
Looking ahead, Texas State will face either ULM or South Alabama in the championship game scheduled for May 9 at 1:30 pm on ESPN2.
