CLEBURNE, Texas – Within the confines of a new environment, in a battle of two teams facing off against each other for the first time, the Texas State Bobcats (7-2) held on to win 5-4 against the Abilene Christian Wildcats (5-4) at La Moderna Field in Cleburne, Texas.
In his third straight Friday start, graduate pitcher Kyle Froehlich bounced back from his last start against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Feb. 20 to earn his second win of the season in a five-inning effort, striking out six while relinquishing one run on two hits and a walk.
“[Froehlich] was outstanding…we were battling there to put him back in the sixth,” Texas State head coach Steven Trout said. “We just felt like [ACU] were starting to get to him.”
Texas State started the game red-hot thanks to the early efforts of freshman outfielder Jackson Cotton, beginning the game with a first-pitch single into right, then stealing both second and third.
Cotton scored the first run of the game for the Bobcats after a grounder to third base from senior utility Rashawn Galloway was bobbled, allowing Galloway to reach first safely. Texas State exited the top of the first with a only 1-0 lead despite the hot start of the bats.
Two innings later, in the third, the Bobcats tacked on two more runs to extend their lead to 3-0 via a bases-loaded walk to junior designated hitter Jaquae Stewart and Galloway scoring after a pickoff attempt at second sailed into the outfield.
By the top of the fifth, Froehlich was rolling after four innings of no-hit baseball. However, senior infielder Grant Watkins broke-up the no-hit bid, smacking a home run into right field to put the Wildcats on the board.
Froehlich was able to get out of the inning, inducing a double play to end any more threat from the Wildcats.
In the sixth, Cotton delivered once again with the bat, hitting a ground-rule, two RBI double into center, extending the Bobcats lead to 5-1.
From there, Texas State dug into their bullpen and utilized junior reliever Alec Beversdorf. In his 2 1/3 innings of action, Beversdorf kept the Wildcats at bay besides giving up a home run in the bottom of the eighth to Watkins for his second longball of the game.
In the bottom of the ninth, Abilene Christian pushed for a last ditched effort to comeback and it narrowly came to fruition.
The Wildcats added on two runs that were scored off singles. The second RBI single very well could’ve evened the game at five-all if it wasn’t for junior outfielder Reese Boro, who pinch ran for freshman outfielder Ryan Jones, slipping and falling while rounding third base, having to stay 90-feet away as Texas State retained a 5-4 lead.
In the end, Cooper and slammed the door shut on the Wildcats, giving the Bobcats their third straight victory in the process.
Texas State will be riding with freshman Nolan Moore on the mound against Tarleton State, with first pitch slated for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28 at La Moderna Field.
