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Fort Worth, Texas – Senior Mitchell Pitts allowed just one hit over six innings while striking out eight in helping lead the Texas State baseball team past No. 18 TCU, 1-0, on Tuesday evening at Lupton Stadium in Fort Worth. The right-hander's performance was part of a combined shutout effort for Texas State, its second in as many games.

The Bobcats improved to 2-1 this season versus ranked opponents while moving to 5-3 overall. Meanwhile, TCU lost its third consecutive game in falling to 2-5 this season.

Tuesday marked the fourth consecutive game that a Texas State starting pitcher has not allowed an earned run. It also ran the team's stretch of not allowing any run to 23 consecutive innings. The team's last run allowed was an unearned run in the fourth inning against Houston on February 25.

Texas State lowered its team ERA for the season to 1.78 in the victory and handed TCU its first shutout in the past 165 games, dating back to April 7, 2009.

The Bobcats got off to a quick start in the top of the first inning after Cody Perkins roped a one-out single to left-center field. Casey Kalenkosky came up next and hit a 2-2 pitch into the gap in right-center field that rolled to the wall, allowing Perkins to come home and Kalenkosky to reach third base for his first career triple.

That first inning run would account for all of the offense for both teams for the remainder of the game as the teams would combine for just nine hits in a game dominated by pitching.

Pitts had his command working on Tuesday night, needing just more than 40 pitches to get through the first four innings and throwing just over 70 total in his six innings on the mound. The senior did not allow a hit after TCU led off the first inning with a single and allowed just three TCU batters to reach base while he was on the mound.

Pitts (1-1) picked up his first win of the season after tallying a final line of six innings pitched, one hit allowed, one walk and eight strikeouts – one shy of his career high.

TCU starter Brandon Finnegan (0-2) was charged with the loss after allowing one run over five innings on the mound.

Texas State had an opportunity to extend its lead in the top of the seventh after freshman Brooks Orton singled sharply through the right side of the infield for a base hit. He moved up to second after a pickoff attempt could not be handled by the TCU first baseman before stealing third in a heads-up play when the third baseman was not paying attention. However, Orton would stay stranded on third as the Horned Frogs got out of the inning with a strikeout and a groundout to keep the Bobcat lead at 1-0.

The Bobcat bullpen came together over the final three innings to hold the Horned Frogs off the scoreboard. Louis Head, Dylan Adamek and Jeff McVaney combined to close out the fifth win of the season for the Bobcats. Head pitched 2/3 of an inning before Adamek struck out a career high five batters of two innings. McVaney came on to toss the final out of the game and earned his first save of the season and 10^th of his career, tying the Texas State career record.

Kalenkosky led the way offensively for Texas State as he extended his hitting streak to seven games. The senior finished 2 for 4 with a double, triple and RBI for the Bobcats.