Box Score LAFAYETTE, La. – Texas State scored a run in three consecutive innings to jump out to a 3-1 lead on No. 2 UL Lafayette Friday night and two more in the seventh to tie the game late, but the Ragin' Cajuns were able to survive the scare, 8-6. The loss drops Texas State to 23-19 on the season and 11-8 in Sun Belt Conference action.
The second, third and fourth batters came up big Friday night with a combined six hits.
Cameron Friess added a run and an RBI while
Granger Studdard scored twice with two RBI, benefitting from his team-high sixth home run of the season.
Tyler Pearson also added a homer on a 2-for-4 night while four other Bobcats knocked a hit to help Texas State outhit ULL, 12-10, on the night.
The Bobcat bats were doing so well early that UL Lafayette went away from the team's starting pitcher after just four innings.
Austen Williams started on the mound for the Bobcats, striking out seven, walking four and giving up seven hits and six earned runs.
Ross Goebel,
Cory Geisler and
Andrew Boes also saw time.
Studdard scored the first run of the night, coming in on a
Tanner Hill groundout after getting on base with a single up the middle in the second inning. The Cajuns were able to answer with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, but the Bobcats came right back.
After a
Colby Targun double, Friess, getting the starting nod at designated hitter, knocked a single to left center to plate Targun and put Texas State up 2-1. Then in the fourth, Pearson took a full count pitch for a ride for the first of two Bobcat home runs on the night. His fifth homer of the season put Texas State up 3-1 headed to the bottom of the fourth.
The Ragin' Cajuns tied the game up with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the fourth. Outfielder Seth Harrison knocked a two-run homer to make it 3-3. After the Bobcats did not score a run in the fifth, UL Lafayette added some separation with three runs on four hits and a wild pitch.
Despite being down three, the Bobcats fought back with a run in the sixth and two in the seventh to tie the game, 6-6, late.
Ben McElroy earned a walk and Hill singled behind him. With two on,
Trey Hicks knocked an RBI single to right center to score McElroy.
In the bottom of the inning, the Bobcat defense took care of three outs in quick fashion to push the game into the seventh. After Friess hit his second hit of the game, a single to left center, the team's home run leader, Studdard, came through with his sixth of the season to pull the Bobcats even with UL Lafayette, 6-6.
Unfortunately for the Bobcats, UL Lafayette was able to score two runs on two hits and an error in the seventh to claim an 8-6 lead, and neither team could score after that.
Both teams will meet up for the second game of the series at 6 p.m. Saturday. The game will be televised on ESPN3.
