Redshirt sophomore Chris Bernal’s two-RBI single in the ninth inning lifted Texas State baseball (18-19, 6-9 Sun Belt Conference) to a 13-11 win over the University of Louisiana-Monroe (17-18, 5-10 Sun Belt Conference) to avoid the sweep in game three. The Warhawks won the series after winning the first two games.
Bernal entered the game as a pinch-hitter as his two-RBI single was his only at-bat.
Texas State’s offense got hot in the first inning, scoring seven runs. Sophomore second baseman Chase Mora was responsible for three of these runs, hitting a triple that cleared the bases to make it a 5-0 game. Mora went two-for-four and led the Bobcats in RBIs with four.
Texas State junior catcher Ian Collier capped off the inning with a two-run hit to make it 7-0. This was Collier’s sole hit of the game, going one-for-two at the plate.
While the Bobcats’ offense was able to build a demanding lead, the pitching staff struggled to keep it, giving up nine runs in just six innings. Texas State starting pitcher Drayton Brown gave up five runs in 3 ⅓ innings. Sophomore pitcher Taylor Seay relieved him and gave up four runs without recording an out.
The Bobcats regained the lead in the 7th as junior infielder Daylan Pena scored on a wild pitch. This was short-lived as ULM quickly scored two runs in the bottom of the 7th to make it 11-10. In the top of the 9th, Texas State’s Rashawn Galloway hit an RBI single to tie the game before the two RBI single from Bernal that won the game.
Texas State senior pitcher Otto Wofford got the save, getting the final three outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Bobcats senior pitcher Johnathan Martinez was the winning pitcher, going 1 ⅓ innings, giving up two runs on two hits.
Texas State baseball will play its next conference series against the University of South Alabama after visiting the University of the Incarnate Word this Tuesday.
The opening pitch between Texas State and UIW is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at Sullivan Field in San Antonio.
