Junior pitcher Levi Wells struck out nine in his five-inning start and four different Bobcats had at least two RBIs to lead Texas State (1-0) to a 12-3 victory against Northwestern University (0-1) on Friday night.
Wells, who loaded the bases in the top of the fourth inning, gave up two hits, three walks and no runs on the night en route to his first win of the year. Northwestern graduate pitcher Michael Farinelli threw four innings and gave up four earned runs on eight hits to get the loss.
“Levi Wells was really good. We wanted five out of him and that’s what he got us with a ton of strikeouts,” head coach Steve Trout said. “Overall, great win.”
Texas State pitching struck out 14 Northwestern batters in the game and gave up all four runs in the last two innings. 
Sophomore infielder Ryan Leary only started in nine games last year but finished opening night 2-for-3 with a home run, a triple and three RBI.
Senior outfielder Jose Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with one double and two RBI.
A two-run home run by Leary in the bottom of the second scored sophomore infielder Ryder Hernandez, who reached base on his first career hit as a Bobcat, to break open the scoring at 2-0.
Two sacrifice flies in the third and fourth innings extended the Bobcat lead to 4-0. In the bottom of the fourth, Gonzalez singled through the right side to bring the lead to 5-0.
Another RBI single by Gonzalez and a sacrifice fly by sophomore infielder Daylon Pena brought the lead to 7-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Pena had no hits on the day but had three sac flies, totaling three RBI.
Junior infielder Davis Powell got his first extra base hit in the bottom of the seventh inning with an RBI double. The Bobcats scored five runs in the inning for a 12-0 lead.
Northwestern scored four runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but junior pitcher Otto Wofford came in with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth to get the elusive 27th out for the Bobcats. 
Senior pitcher Zeke Wood will get the ball tomorrow as the Bobcats face Northwestern in the second game of the series at 2:30 pm on Saturday at Bobcat Ballpark.