Texas State baseball (16-8, 3-3 Sun Belt Conference) faced Coastal Carolina University (14-6, 4-1 Sun Belt Conference) for a double-maker matchup to conclude a three-game series. The first game resulted in a 13-6 loss.
Ninth-inning offensive power from junior infielder Cade Manning and freshman outfielder Coldon Kiser gave the Bobcats hope in their second loss of the series.
Coastal Carolina sophomore pitcher Matthew Potok was credited with the win, throwing 10 strikeouts in six innings while allowing only one run. Conversely, the loss was credited to Texas State senior pitcher Nathan Medrano allowing eight runs in 2.1 innings pitched.
The Bobcats used four of its arms out of the bullpen. Following his successful one-inning appearance against CCU yesterday, junior pitcher Otto Wofford continued to silence the bats of the Chanticleers. He threw two innings allowing no runs and only one hit.
CCU’s high-scoring afternoon began in the first inning with an RBI triple from sophomore infielder Derek Bender that made the score 1-0. Texas State’s junior catcher August Ramirez responded quickly, tying the game up with a solo home run in the top of the second.
At the plate, junior outfielder Kameron Weil, junior infielder Davis Powell, and senior outfielder Ben McClain fueled the hopes of the Bobcats with hits in the third, fourth, and eighth innings, respectively.
CCU broke away with another solo homer in the bottom of the second inning and then a grand slam in the bottom of the third. They continued to dominate offensively in the fourth and sixth innings with extra-base hits and sacrifice pop-flys, bringing the score to 13-1 going into the seventh.
The Bobcats came alive in the top of the ninth inning, sparked by a three-run home run from Manning followed by Kiser dropping one into shallow centerfield bringing home two more runs, making the score 13-6. However, the cats’ late rally went no further.
The Bobcats managed to bounce back in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader defeating Coastal Carolina with a score of 10-8 to prevent from being swept in the series. The win also marked the first time that Texas State has ever defeated CCU at its field, Spring Brooks Stadium.
Texas State started off strong in the top of the first inning, getting two hits and scoring on a wild pitch to take the lead 1-0. The Bobcats then scored six runs in the following inning, gaining a 7-1 lead after having six hits, three RBIs and two home runs from junior infielder Davis Powell and redshirt junior centerfielder August Ramirez.
CCU held Texas State at seven runs until the seventh inning, lessening the Bobcat lead to one run with a score of 7-6. Texas State responded with a pair of RBIs and a second score on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 10-6.
Defense proved to be a struggle for the Chanticleers in the seventh inning. The pitcher hit the first batter, allowed two hits and had a walk that ended with a wild pitch and a run for the Bobcats. The shortstop also had an error that advanced the Texas State runner and got rid of the opportunity for a double play.
The Chanticleers attempted to come back in the bottom of the ninth inning, scoring two runs off of two RBIs to make the game a two-run difference. After a final pitching change, the Bobcats got the final out of the game to win 10-8.
The next game for the Bobcats will welcome the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
The opening pitch between Texas State and UTRGV is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March. 29 at UTRGV Stadium in Edinburg, Texas.