Freshman infielder Ryne Farber stood out, scoring three runs on three walks and a hit as Texas State baseball (3-0) completed the three-game series sweep against Youngstown State University (0-3) Sunday afternoon with an 11-1 victory at Bobcat Ballpark.
Farber led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk, and the offense took off from there. Texas State’s first run was scored when sophomore infielder Chase Mora walked in a run. Senior catcher August Ramirez tacked on another by getting hit by a pitch, and junior infielder Aaron Lugo added two more RBIs with a single.
Senior utility Alec Patino added another run to the board with a sacrifice fly in the second inning. Ramirez added two more with an RBI double in the fifth, and senior infielder Cameron Thompson hit a solo shot in the sixth. The rest of the scoring came from senior infielder Davis Powell scoring on a balk in the sixth and Lugo scoring the game-clinching run on an RBI groundout.
Youngstown State’s lone run came in the first after Texas State redshirt senior pitcher Peyton Zabel walked freshman outfielder Derrick Tarpley Jr. with the bases loaded. Zabel quickly got back on track as he picked up the win, allowing two hits and five walks in four innings.
“You got to find ways to win even when you don’t have your best stuff,” Zabel said. “It definitely got better as the game went on.”
Walks were a big part of the story on Sunday, as Texas State drew 10 base-on-balls against the Penguins. Texas State Head Coach Steven Trout said he was happy with the patience shown by the Bobcat hitters.
“It’s the name of the game,” Trout said. “If they’re going to walk you, you gotta take it. A walk is as good as a hit.”
Youngstown State junior pitcher Lane Rhodes took the loss on Sunday, giving up four runs before recording an out.
Texas State will look to continue their season-opening win streak on Tuesday in a highly-anticipated road matchup against Texas Christian University (3-0), with senior pitcher Tony Robie taking the mound.
Opening pitch between Texas State and TCU is scheduled to be thrown at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, at Lupton Baseball Stadium & Williams-Reilly Field in Fort Worth. The game will be available to stream on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
