Box Score | Box Score (PDF)

San Marcos, Texas – Redshirt freshman Taylor Black made his second career start against his second ranked opponent and earned his second victory as Texas State defeated No. 16 Oregon, 11-3, on Tuesday night in front of 1,514 fans at Bobcat Ballpark.

Black got plenty of run support as the Bobcats put up 10 runs through the first four innings and ended up with the team's largest margin of victory of the season.

With the win, Texas State (15-9) improved to 5-2 versus ranked opponents this season and 10-2 at home.

After winning his first career start last week against No. 18 TCU, Black (2-0) put up career highs of 6 1/3 innings pitched and seven strikeouts on Tuesday night. The righty allowed just five hits and two runs (one earned) on the evening and limited the Ducks to one walk.

Hunter Lemke pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief for Texas State and limited Oregon (15-7) to one hit and one run while fanning two batters.

Jeff Gold (3-1) was charged with the loss after allowing five runs in 1 2/3 innings to start the game.

Texas State put together a big first inning highlighted by Casey Kalenkosky's fifth home run of the season to go in front 5-0. Kalenkosky came up with Tyler Sibley on base and blasted a homer over the fence in left-center field to give the home team a 2-0 advantage. Jeff McVaney singled and Andrew Stumph walked to put two runners on for Cody Gambill, who singled into right field to bring home both runners with the aid of an Oregon error. Gambill moved to third base on a balk before coming home on a sacrifice fly from Nick Smesler to cap the five-run inning.

In the third inning, the Bobcats loaded the bases for senior Joey Fuda, who made his return Tuesday from a leg injury suffered on opening day, and he delivered a bases-clearing double that gave the Texas State an 8-0 lead.

Oregon hit a homer in the top of the fourth for the visitor's first run of the game, but the Bobcats came back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to extend their lead to 10-1 – the team's largest advantage at any point this season. Three Bobcats walked during the inning, including Smelser who took a bases loaded freebie for his second RBI of the game.

The Ducks added one unearned run in the sixth inning before the Bobcats added a run in the eighth when Stumph hit a towering home run over the left-field fence for an 11-2 score. The homer was the first of the season for the junior.

“They've been working as hard as they can work,” said head coach Ty Harrington regarding the team's hitting. “I want them to leave tonight feeling good about themselves and come back tomorrow with a little more confidence.”

Fuda (2 for 5), Smelser (2 for 2) and McVaney (2 for 5) all finished the game with a pair of hits for the Bobcats. Fuda's three RBIs were one off his career high and Stumph's three runs scored tied a career high for the catcher.

Texas State and Oregon will play their second game of the two-game series on Wednesday at noon at Bobcat Ballpark.