In a game that felt very reminiscent of the 2024 season, the Texas State Bobcats (7-5) dropped an intensely contested matchup 7-6 to the Incarnate Word Cardinals (8-5) on Tuesday at Sullivan Field in San Antonio.
Reliever Jonah Posey helped limit the damage against Texas State in the last 2 2/3 innings, striking out three and only giving up one earned run and two hits en route to earning the victory.
The Bobcats struck the first punch with a four-run first inning that included an Ethan Farris RBI double and a Zachary Gingrich RBI single before Cole Tabor launched his first home run of the season, a two-run bomb into right.
Pitching failed to produce the necessary results to help maintain the Bobcats’ lead. Right-handed pitcher Taylor Seay started on the mound for Texas State, allowed two runs in two innings and essentially converted the game into a bullpen game following his exit, where the Bobcats then utilized Colby Diaz, Matthew Tippie and Bryson Dudley.
The Cardinals slowly but surely started to crawl back into the game following a rough first inning. Rob Liddington Jr. and Tyler Cowen were critical in helping Incarnate Word’s counteroffensive throughout the game. Liddington Jr crushed his team-leading fifth home run of the season in the fourth inning as Cowen provided two big run-scoring hits before a successful sacrifice bunt in the sixth inning gave him three runs batted in on the day.
Texas State showed some signs of life in the later innings when Cameron Thompson delivered in the top of the eighth for his first home run of the season to tie the game at 6-6.
In a tie game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Cardinals sent out pinch hitter Jake Weaver with Dudley on the mound. Weaver sent a long home run into right field to give Incarnate Word its first win over Texas State since 2022.
The offenses for both teams played well, even with how windy it was throughout the game. The wind helped carry the ball and even created critical mistakes defensively for the Bobcats in the outfield that allowed the Cardinals to find themselves back in the game.
Incarnate Word left only four players on base throughout the game, while the Bobcats left nine.
The Bobcats will be heading out of state for the first time this season to Buies Creek, North Carolina, to play a weekend series against the Campbell Fighting Camels. Game one of the series is slated to start at 5 p.m. on Friday and will be available to be streamed on FloSports.
