Game One
Texas State baseball 7-7) had yet another rough game offensively, dropping the second in a three-game series against Sam Houston State (10-5) Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Ballpark with a final score of 4-2.
Facing the Bearkats in his second start of the season, sophomore pitcher Sam Hall had a superb outing as he allowed one run through six innings and recorded three strikeouts.
“I thought Sam Hall threw the ball very well,” Texas State Head Coach Steven Trout said. “It was a big bright spot for us. That’s why we kept running him back out there; that was the best start we’ve had all season long.”
It was another subpar game offensively for the Bobcats, as they only scored two runs on eight hits and stranding 10 runners on base.
“I thought we swung the bat pretty good today,” Trout said. “We had some chances in there, we just didn’t find a way to capitalize.”
The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth inning when a fielder’s choice allowed the Bearkats to score a run, giving them a 1-0 lead. However, that lead didn’t last long.
In the bottom of the fifth, after an error allowed runners to move into scoring positions, sophomore infielder Chase Mora hit a two-RBI double to put the Bobcats ahead 2-1.
The score stayed the same until the top of the eighth arrived when redshirt senior pitcher Peyton Zabel allowed three runs, which was enough to clinch the Bearkats the 4-2 victory and claim the weekend series.
Game Two
Junior catcher Walker Janek hit a two-run home run as Sam Houston State University (11-5) defeated Texas State University (7-8) 3-1 Sunday afternoon to complete the sweep in the last of a three-game series at Bobcat Ballpark.
Janek’s home run gave the Bearkats an early 2-0 lead in the third inning. The third and final run of the game for Sam Houston came in the seventh inning due to a wild pitch from Texas State junior pitcher Nicholas Holbrook.
Senior pitcher Gavi Coldiron collected his second win of the season, allowing no runs on five hits, zero walks, and four strikeouts.
Texas State scored its only run in the bottom of the ninth when junior third baseman Aaron Lugo hit a solo home run. The Bobcats threatened with a comeback, bringing the winning run to the plate in the ninth, but ultimately fell short.
According to Trout, losing three in a row to Sam Houston is a gut punch for his team after a successful weekend at Minute Maid Park this past weekend.
“You just gotta get your confidence back,” Trout said. “We went from a weekend where we thought we could score ten runs against anybody, then all of a sudden, we scored five runs the entire weekend.”
Despite the cold bats, senior pitcher Drayton Brown shined in his first career start for Texas State, allowing two runs on five hits, two walks, and three strikeouts.
Trout said he thought Brown did an excellent job on the mound and will be a part of the weekend rotation going forward.
“He did exactly what he does: throw strikes, mix speeds, [keep] them off-balance, and [keep] you in the game,” Trout said. “If we only give up two runs out of the starting guy on Sundays, you’re going to win a lot of Sunday games if you swing it better.”
The Bobcats will look to get back on track against their next opponent, Tarleton State University (10-7).
The first pitch between Texas State and Tarleton State is scheduled to be thrown at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Mar. 12, at Tarleton Baseball Complex in Stephenville, Texas.
