Texas State senior infielder Cameron Gibbons (11) makes a run for home plate during a game against Texas A&M, Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at Blue Bell Park. The Bobcats lost to the Aggies 4-8.
The Bobcats (23-7 overall, 8-1 Sun Belt) were unable to keep pace Tuesday night as they lost 8-4 to Texas A&M (17-11, 4-5 Southeastern Conference). Texas State has now lost its last three Tuesday contests but continues to have stellar performance on the weekends as it has gone 8-1 in matchups over the past three weeks.
“We’ll evaluate a little bit, we didn’t play great, clean baseball today,” Head Coach Steven Trout said post-game. “Tuesday games are kind of different because you do have a starter, but it’s kind of a bullpen day. We just haven’t played well the last three Tuesdays. Incarnate Word we didn’t swing it too well, though we pitched well. Sam [Houston] was the opposite, and tonight was a little of everything.”
The Aggies managed to get on the board first Tuesday night after graduate catcher Troy Claunch hit a grounder that brought home graduate left-fielder Dylan Rock, who was walked earlier in the first inning. The Bobcats matched that in the second inning when freshman first-baseman Daylan Pena singled to center field before a double by senior second-baseman Cameron Gibbons brought him home.
After tying the game and holding off any second-inning Aggie runs, Texas State failed to capitalize on having two hitters walked in the third inning, leaving them stranded on first and second base. Texas A&M took advantage of its third stanza opportunities, scoring twice off singles from Claunch and junior right-fielder Brett Minnich, giving them a 3-1 lead.
Rock added to the Aggie lead when he scored off an error from Gibbons in the fifth. Another Minnich single to centerfield brought in sophomore first-baseman Jack Moss, giving Texas A&M a 5-1 lead leaving the fifth.
Texas State struggled to score for much of the game, even going three-and-out at the plate during the seventh inning. They were finally able to get back on the board in the eighth when back-to-back doubles from Pena and junior pinch hitter Jose Gonzalez brought in a run. However, by then, A&M had already scored three more runs.
The Bobcats tried to rally in the ninth with two late runs, but a ground out from Pena brought the game to a close.
Next up, the Bobcats will head back home for a weekend series against Georgia Southern. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday at Bobcat Ballpark.