After a six-game skid, Texas State baseball (17-24 overall, 7-8 Sun Belt) won its April 23-25 series 2-1 against the Arkansas State University Red Wolves (11-22 overall, 6-9 Sun Belt).
Similar to the Bobcats, the Red Wolves entered the match on a low, having lost six of their last eight games. The team arrived in San Marcos with a 2-1 series loss to the University of Texas at Arlington, followed by a 5-3 defeat to the University of Central Arkansas.
Game one started with Arkansas State in the lead off a solo home run from senior outfielder Drew Tipton. The scoreboard remained empty until the top of the fifth, when the Red Wolves grabbed a pair of runs off of two sacrificed fly balls, shooting their score up to 3-0.
Texas State went up in the bottom of the fifth but came down soon after, with the Bobcats’ offense unable to catch fire and entering the sixth with only three hits.
The Bobcats finally made the scoreboard at the top of the sixth off a solo homer from senior outfielder Chase Evans. Senior outfielder Will Hollis hit an RBI single out to centerfield, cutting the deficit to one. The run that tied the game came after senior infielder Cole Coffey was walked with the bases fully loaded.
The Red Wolves’ errors continued later in the game, as a balk gave the Bobcats a 4-3 lead. With the bases loaded yet again, Texas State moved even further into the lead when graduate catcher Tucker Redden was hit by a pitch. Coffey scored after on a wild pitch, and the Bobcats went up 7-3 off a sacrifice fly from sophomore infielder/outfielder Jose Gonzalez.
Arkansas State finally managed to get two runners on base at the top of the seventh, but could not cut into the deficit.
The Bobcats came back in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single from junior infielder Dalton Shuffield. Coffey was next to step up to the plate, and with the count empty, hit a three-run homer bringing the Bobcats up 11-3.
The Red Wolves grabbed a final run from an RBI grounder at the top of the ninth, but the game still ended with Bobcats on top, winning them the game 11-4.
Despite the first game’s blowout victory, game two was a tighter affair.
Texas State was first on the board as Hollis hit a solo homer out to centerfield at the bottom of the second. Senior outfielder Tyler Duncan then hit an RBI double to tie the score at 1-1 at the top of the third. A run off a catcher’s interference and an RBI single from junior infielder/catcher Liam Hicks put the Red Wolves up 3-1 in the top of the fourth. A two-RBI double from junior infielder Ben Klutts pushed Arkansas State’s led to 5-1.
A solo homer from Coffey out to centerfield at the bottom of the fourth gave the Bobcats some hope, but both teams remained scoreless for three and a half innings.
At the bottom of the eighth, the Bobcats scored off an RBI double down the left-field line. Shuffield then nabbed an RBI single, putting the Bobcats within striking distance at 5-4.
The Red Wolves went up to bat looking to end the Bobcats’ comeback hopes, yet the team went down in order.
At the bottom of the ninth, junior outfielder Isaiah Ortega-Jones pinch ran for sophomore catcher/utility Peyton Lewis, who was hit by a pitch that walked Ortega-Jones to first base. With a tying run on base, Evans hit a sacrifice bunt moving Ortega-Jones to second. Gonzalez was next in the rotation, and with a 3-2 count, he hit a sacrifice fly to bring Ortega-Jones to third.
With the tying run in scoring position and two outs, junior outfielder John Wuthrich went up to bat and hit an RBI single out to centerfield, tying the game 5-5. With the prospect of extra innings looming in the distance, junior infielder Justin Thompson stepped up to plate with an empty count and hit a double out to right-centerfield, bringing home Wuthrich to win 6-5.
The final match of the series mimicked the start of the second game. Hicks hit a sacrifice fly to grab a 1-0 lead at the top of the third, and Coffey came back to hit a solo home run to tie. The homer was the Bobcats’ second hit of the game.
Neither team was able to gain an edge, with both teams remaining scoreless for three innings. However, in the top of the seventh, as Arkansas State’s freshman infielder Jared Toler hit an RBI double, the Red Wolves took the lead. Soon after, Duncan smashed a ball out to right field, for a grand slam to go up 6-1.
The Red Wolves didn’t stop there, scoring two unearned runs to go up 8-1 in the eighth, then tacking on an RBI single and a three-run homer in the ninth inning to win the contest 12-1.
The Bobcats will now travel to College Station to face the Texas A&M University Aggies (23-19 overall, 5-13 SEC).
A&M is coming into the matchup off a 2-1 series loss to the No. 6 University of Tennessee. The final game of the series was a 20-7 blowout loss for the Aggies.
The Aggies have a 21-7 record versus the Bobcats and have won six of the last seven contests. This will be the second meeting between the two teams this season, after the Aggies won the last matchup 8-4 on April 13.
The game is set for 6 p.m. on April 27 at Blue Bell Park in College Station and will air on the SEC Network.