3,217. The number that represents the amount of people who filed into Bobcat Ballpark on Tuesday night to watch Texas State (19-21) go to battle with the the #1 team in the country, Texas (34-5). The figure also represents the third-largest crowd in Bobcat Ballpark history.
Those who were in attendance were treated to one of the wildest and most explosive college baseball games that has been played this year. 25 combined runs on 21 hits, seven of which were home runs, with two of which were grand slams kept the emotion, stress and fireworks at high levels all night. Ultimately, Texas shortstop Jalin Flores played hero as he hit a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the ninth inning to propel the Longhorns in front for the first time all night on their way to a 14-11 victory over the Bobcats.
“It was a very highly competitive game, we had the lead going into the ninth against the number one team in the country and then they showed why their number one,” Texas State head coach Steven Trout said. “We competed all night long, we just didn’t execute all night long. We did a really good job competing, we just have to find a way to finish.”
Coy DeFury got the firework show started early, as he hit a towering pull-side home run over the right field wall to give the Bobcats an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. An inning later, true freshman Zach Gingrich did the same, homering over the right field wall to put Texas State up 2-0.
DeFury struck again in the fourth with another solo shot to put the Bobcats up 3-0. Later in the inning, Sampson Pugh added the Bobcat lead with an RBI single into left, making it 4-0 Texas State.
After being all Texas State through four innings, Texas responded in the fifth. Singles off the bats of Will Gasparino and Casey Borba, along with a Flores double plated four Longhorns in the top half. Erasing Texas State’s lead and knotting the game at 4-4. Texas State retook the lead in the bottom half on a passed ball, sitting with the 5-4 lead after five complete.
After holding Texas off the board in the top of the sixth, Texas State exploded in the bottom half. Two walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Bobcats, bringing Chase Mora to the plate. In almost eerily similar fashion to last season in Houston, Mora cranked a ball over the left field wall, sending Bobcat Ballpark into a frenzy and putting the Bobcats on top 9-5.
With all the momentum appearing to be on Texas State’s side, the Longhorns immediately answered the call in the seventh. A Kimble Schuessler single and a three-run home run off the bat of Borba plated four runs, cutting the Bobcats lead down to 9-8.
As had been the theme all night, the back-and-forth continued with Texas State responding to Texas with two runs in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a Gingrich double and a Ryne Farber hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, giving the Bobcats an 11-8 advantage.
Texas continued to scratch and claw, answering the Bobcats two runs in the seventh with two of their own in the eighth. A Rylan Galvan two-run homer cut Texas State’s lead back down to one. Texas State was held scoreless in the eighth, setting the stage for the ninth inning.
Two walks and an error loaded the bases for Texas before Flores stepped to the plate, putting Texas on top for the first and only time of the night with a grand slam to center field. Texas kept the Bobcats off the board in the ninth, securing a midweek victory over the Bobcats and avoiding the season series sweep.
Texas State will look to bounce back in another midweek game against Tarleton State (17-24) on Wednesday afternoon at Bobcat Ballpark. First pitch between the Bobcats and Texans is set for 6:05 p.m. The game will be streaming on ESPN+
