SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State started strong with a 3-1 lead after three innings and added two more runs in the fourth to grab control of the game Friday night. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, UC Davis scored seven runs in the final three innings of a 10-inning game to topple Texas State, 10-7, in the season opener.
 
David Paiz led the Bobcats in RBI with two on a 2-for-4 night for the senior. Cory Geisler also finished the night with multiple hits, going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Five other Bobcats finished with a hit, including freshman Theodore Hoffman who hit the first home run of his young career. Both Hoffman and Zach Sullivan scored two runs.
 Lucas Humpal went 6.1 innings and left with a 5-3 lead. In his season debut, he only gave up two earned runs with four strikeouts, two walks and four hits. The Aggies did most of their damage late, scoring seven runs after Humpal took a seat.
 
After two scoreless innings to start, UC Davis was able to bring a run across for the early 1-0 lead, but the Bobcats bounced back in a big way. In the bottom of the third, Geisler sent a rocket down the left line for a double, moving Sullivan to third after a hit by pitch. After a Cedric Vallieres walk, Granger Studdard tied the game when he plated Sullivan with a sacrifice fly. Paiz followed with a huge double to right centerfield on an 0-2 pitch to score two more runs and put Texas State up 3-1.
 
In the fourth inning, Hoffman announced his arrival to the collegiate game with a solo home run over the left field fence. After that, UC Davis made the first pitching change of the game. It didn't immediately help.
 
Sullivan took his second free base of the night as Justin Mullins, the new UC Davis pitcher, walked him. After Sullivan advanced to second on a groundout, he scored on a shot to right center from Geisler to put the Bobcats up 5-1 after four innings.
 
Humpal hit two batters in the top of the sixth. After that, a single to right field scored one runner and another Aggie scored on a Texas State error to close the Bobcat lead to 5-3. Before UC Davis could score again in the sixth, Vallieres sniffed out a double steal and threw the ball to Tanner Hill in time to close out the top of the sixth.
 
The eighth-inning leadoff batter for UC Davis took a base on a hit by pitch and stole second. Tino Lipson pushed the runner to third with a single and designated hitter Tanner Bily knocked an RBI-single after that. Blake Whitter forced a fly out from the next batter, and freshman Braden Pearson let his defense close out the inning next. Vallieres, Luke Sherley and Ben McElroy combined for a double play to close out the inning and keep a 5-4 lead.
 
Texas State went on the offensive in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs for some breathing room. Paiz earned a leadoff walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. A groundout pushed Paiz to third base and Hoffman followed with a walk. With runners at the corners, Tanner Hill legged out a slow moving infield single and plated Paiz. A Sullivan single through the right side scored Hoffman and gave the Bobcats a 7-4 lead headed to the ninth.
 
In the ninth, UC Davis led off with a double down the right line. A pinch hitter earned a walk and the next pinch hitter singled to load the bases. Another UC Davis double scored two runs and another run came in on an RBI single later in the inning to tie the game.
 
The Bobcats almost closed out the game in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, Paiz singled and McElroy followed with a walk, but the Aggies did what was needed to push the game to extra innings.
 
After three UC Davis runs in the top of the 10^th, Texas State went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning to conclude the first game of the season.
 
Texas State will look to bounce back against UC Davis at 1 p.m. Saturday with Scott Grist on the mound.