WACO, Texas – Texas State senior pitcher
Scott Grist put together his best outing of the season, stymying the Baylor Bears with just a two-hit shutout. Baylor had no answer for Grist as he controlled the game from the mound to secure a win and clinch the series. The Bobcat bats gave him support with five runs en route to a 5-0 victory for Texas State and improve the Bobcats to 14-15-1 on the year.
Grist gave up both of his hits allowed in the first two innings. From there, he retired 15 consecutive batters until walking two with two outs in the seventh inning. After that, he sat down seven consecutive batters to close out the game. He pitched a season-high 115 pitches in the dominating performance.
The Bobcats were first on the board Friday night when
Cedric Vallieres scored the first run of the game. He tallied the first hit, a liner up the middle, and
David Paiz knocked a double down the left line after that to put both runners in scoring position.
Tanner Hill ran out an infield bouncing single to score Vallieres and put the Bobcats up 1-0 in the top of the first.
In the second, Baylor committed two errors to help the Bobcats to a few more runs.
Luke Sherley legged out an infield single with two outs to keep the inning alive for Texas State. After that,
Cory Geisler knocked a hit through the right side, but the Bears committed two errors on the play to allow Sherley to score and Geisler to get to third. A squeeze bunt from Vallieres after that scored Geisler and put the Bobcats up 3-0 after two innings.
After that, the game became a defensive battle. Bobcat centerfielder
Derek Scheible made the most impressive play. With just a bit of momentum after consecutive two-out walks, Baylor sent a shot to left centerfield. Scheible went far to his right to make a diving catch and keep the Bears scoreless in the inning.
Scheible's defensive play helped Texas State carry the momentum offensively with the bats in the top of the eighth. Hill knocked his third hit of the night and Scheible reached on a fielder's choice. With runners at first and second base,
Jared Huber came up big with a double down the right field line to score two and put the Bobcats up, 5-0.
Hill led the squad from the plate on a 3-for-4 night with an RBI and a run. Meanwhile, Vallieres, Paiz and Huber all tallied two hits apiece with Huber knocking two RBI. Seven of nine Bobcats in the lineup struck for at least one hit to help Texas State tally 12 hits in the win.
Texas State looks to sweep Baylor in the series finale at 3 p.m. Saturday. After that, the Bobcats will return home to host Incarnate Word before heading to UALR for another Sun Belt Conference series over the weekend.
