No. 19 Texas State baseball (25-9, 10-3 Sun Belt) breaks its mid-week losing streak with an onslaught of runs against the Baylor Bears (16-16, 2-8 Big XII). The Bobcats defeated the Bears 11-4 on a windy evening at Bobcat Ballpark on Tuesday.
The Bears came out hot, scoring half of their total runs in the first inning. The Bobcats were able to recover one run from Baylor on a wild pitch, scoring senior shortstop Dalton Shuffield from third, trailing at the end of the first inning.
In the second inning, the Bobcats held the Bears scoreless. Leading off for the Bobcats, senior outfielder John Wuthrich was walked. On the next at-bat, senior first baseman Wesley Faison smashed the second pitch he saw from Baylor starting pitcher freshman Henry Cone over the left-field wall. The home run brought Wuthrich and Faison around to put the Bobcats up by one run 3-2 after two innings of play.
To start the third inning, the Bobcats did away with their starting pitcher sophomore Otto Wofford who pitched two complete innings and allowed two runs on two hits. Wofford was replaced by freshman pitcher Victor Loa who allowed two hits but got out of the inning without a run.
In the bottom half of the third inning, the first two batters for the Bobcats, junior outfielder Jose Gonzalez and senior third baseman Justin Thompson, hit back-to-back home runs. These yard-shots put the Bobcats up 5-2 through three innings.
“When those guys are hitting opposite-field home runs,” Head Coach Steven Trout said. “Those guys are truly buying into what we’re trying to do.”
The Bears recovered a run from the Bobcats in the fourth to cut into their deficit. The ‘Cats were able to respond with a five-spot in the bottom half of the fourth.
With the bases loaded, Thompson knocked a two-RBI single over the Baylor third baseman’s head to put the Bobcats up by four 7-3 without an out in the bottom of the fourth. After the Thompson single, sophomore right-handed pitcher Chandler Freeman came in and sat down the next two Bobcat batters.
As soon as Baylor seemed to be able to get out of the inning, sophomore designated hitter August Ramirez brought around Gonzalez from second on an RBI single. Senior second baseman Cameron Gibbons then blasted a two-run RBI double, bringing around Thompson and Ramirez. The three runs put the Bobcats up 10-3 after four innings.
The fifth inning was the first inning up to that point that had not seen a run for Texas State.
The top of the fifth inning saw a hit from the Bears with two outs, but nothing more. Leading off for the Bobcats, junior outfielder Ben McClain was walked in his second straight at-bat. McClain was able to work his way around to third base but was left stranded as the inning ended on a fielder’s choice to second base, putting out Thompson.
In the sixth, the Bears left two runners in scoring position but were unable to bring anything around. The Bobcats were unable to bring in a run and left the bases loaded.
For the first time in the game, the Bobcats got through the top of the seventh unscathed – sitting down the Bears in order. In the bottom half of the inning, Gonzalez struck out to lead off. Thompson singled up the middle and then Wuthrich brought him around to score and extend the Bobcat lead to 11-3 through seven innings of play.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Bobcats held the Bears scoreless once more. The only hit for the Bears in the inning came from graduate-transfer pinch hitter/catcher Ian Groves with two outs. In the bottom half, the Bobcats were sat down in order for the first time in the game.
In the ninth and final inning, the Bobcats had an eight-run lead. Freshman right-handed pitcher Dylan Kerbow came in to close things out but he walked three straight batters and was replaced by sophomore right-handed pitcher Tony Robie. The Bears snagged one run with Robie on the mound on a sacrifice grounder but couldn’t muster anything more as the Bobcats go on to win their first mid-week matchup since March 15 against Prairie View A&M.
The Bobcats will head to Arlington tomorrow before playing the UT Arlington Mavericks in a three-game series starting Thursday.
“Tomorrow will be getting used to surroundings,” Trout said. “We’re going on their field, back on grass and dirt again. So, we’ll get back and do a lot of defensive work tomorrow … doing things that we’re not gonna get to do on the turf here. Tomorrow is [kind of] a workday and then we’ll get back to the game-plan starting on Thursday.”