Texas State baseball (8-2) encountered multiple costly errors in the 7-2 series opener loss against the #11 Arizona Wildcats (9-1) on Friday night.
Junior right-hand pitcher Zeke Wood (1-1) could not keep up his hot start as he surrendered five runs on four hits and three walks in four innings.
Arizona sophomore right-hand pitcher TJ Nichols (2-0) earned the win allowing one unearned run in 6.2 innings with six strikeouts.
Senior outfielder John Wuthrich finished the game with two doubles while driving in a run. Senior shortstop Dalton Shuffield finished 2-for-4 while also driving in a run.
Arizona scored first and early in the bottom of the first inning. Although Wood struck out a rare four batters in the inning, junior outfielder Tanner O’Tremba laced a two-RBI double down the left-field line giving Arizona a 2-0 lead.
Wuthrich would chip away at the Bobcats’ deficit in the top of the third, scoring junior outfielder Ben McClain on an RBI double. However, another O’Tremba RBI double in the bottom of the third gave Arizona a 3-1 lead.
Two walks and a passed ball in the bottom of the fifth was the end of the night for Wood before handing the ball over to junior right-hand pitcher Triston Dixon.
More errors by Texas State allowed the Wildcats to score three runs in the inning. They scored another run in the bottom of the seventh to make it a six-run deficit for Texas State.
Shuffield hit an RBI triple in the top of the eighth to make the score 7-2, but Texas State could not overcome the deficit.
Wood suffered his first loss of the campaign, but the Bobcats’ bullpen gave up only one earned run in four innings while striking out three. Sophomore right-hand pitcher Jonathan Martinez only needed nine pitches to retire the three batters he faced.
The Bobcats ended up redeeming themselves on Saturday and Sunday and successfully defeated the Wildcats in the series.
Next up, the Bobcats will face the Texas Longhorns at 6 p.m. on March 8 at Bobcat Ballpark. The game will air on ESPN+.
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Bobcat miscues proved to be costly in Friday night loss
Carson Weaver, Sports Contributor
March 6, 2022
Texas State senior infielder Wesley Faison (24) winds up to hit a pitch during a game against Wichita State, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, at Bobcat Ballpark. The Bobcats won 9-2.
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