SAN MARCOS, Texas – Despite a strong outing from senior pitcher Scott Grist, Texas State fell to UC Davis in the second game of the series on Saturday by a score of 5-2.
 
Grist, in his first appearance since 2013, went deep into the game, pitching 7.2 innings. He struck out five, walked one and gave up five hits and three runs. He finished the day with 100 pitches.
 The Aggies and Bobcats were in a defensive standoff the first four innings of the game before UC Davis scored the first run of the day in the fifth inning. Texas State answered in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single from Cedric Vallieres. Jared Huber led off the inning with a single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt from Luke Sherley. Vallieres followed with a two-out hit to left field. As Huber rounded third, the throw came in, but the freshman catcher used a nifty slide to score the run.
 
It was a strong debut for Huber behind the plate as he threw out three UC Davis runners attempting to steal. At the plate, he went 1-for-3 with his run scored in the fifth.
 
After two more scoreless innings, the Aggies put up three runs on two hits and an error in the eighth inning. Texas State countered with one run in the bottom of the inning but it wasn't enough. David Paiz knocked a hit straight up the middle to score Vallieres from second after he got on base with a seven-pitch walk. The Bobcats couldn't get anything going after that, and UC Davis added an insurance run in the ninth.
 
Vallieres and Paiz led Texas State at the plate, both finishing with two hits. Vallieres went 2-for-3 with a run, a walk and an RBI while Paiz was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Cory Geisler, Cody Lovejoy and Huber each added a hit Saturday.
 
Texas State will finish the series against UC Davis at 12 p.m. Sunday with Cory Geisler taking the mound.