SAN MARCOS, Texas – Monday night was an interesting game as fourth games of a series usually are. Texas State and Washington State combined to use 15 pitchers in the series finale while both teams tallied 12 hits apiece. The Bobcats scored eight runs and held a 7-5 lead headed to the ninth inning, but Washington State scored four runs in the ninth and 10^th innings to eke out a 9-8 victory. Texas State finishes the weekend at 3-1 before facing national power Rice in Houston on Wednesday.

 

Series Information
Game 1	TXST-6, WSU-2	Recap
Game 2	TXST-10, WSU-1	Recap
Game 3	TXST-7, WSU-6	Recap

Despite the loss, the Bobcats continued to show the team's same resiliency that was on display Sunday. After letting in two runs, one earned, in the first inning and one more in the third, Texas State's Justin Dellinger pitched three scoreless innings and showed why he was chosen to start, finishing with five strikeouts.
 
After Washington State went up, 2-0, the Bobcats answered back to tie the game. After WSU scored a go ahead run, the Bobcats crossed five runs over home plate in the next three inning. And after Washington State went ahead by two runs in the 10^th inning, the Bobcats continued to fight.
 Granger Studdard has been christened with the term "clutch" since hitting four game-winners his freshman year. The Bobcats have come to expect big hits in the big moments from the junior and he supplied another one in the 10^th inning with a leadoff double. He scored on the next at-bat when Tanner Hill shot a single straight up the middle to pull the Bobcats within one.
 
Next, Derek Scheible legged out a bunt. A sacrifice bunt from Nick Perez moved both baserunners into scoring position, and an intentional walk from Luke Sherley loaded the bases with just one out. Unfortunately, Texas State could not come up with the 13^th hit of the day to clinch the game.
 
Jared Huber led the offense with four RBIs on two hits while Hill went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run of his own. Nick Perez added two hits and two runs while Sherley scored twice on a hit and two walks. Sherley and Hoffman combined for four of Texas State's eight drawn walks while the Bobcat pitchers only walked three and struck out eight batters.
 
In addition to the offense, Texas State provided fans with defensive highlights to be remembered. Trying to close out the top of the ninth inning, Huber made a sliding catch at the backstop for the first out of the inning. Cody Lovejoy went horizontal on a full-extension dive in centerfield for an out in the eighth inning. In the third, Sherley made a great play, tossing the ball to Jonathan Ortega from his glove after a diving stop to help turn a double play to end the inning.
 
The Cougars started the game on top with two runs in the first, but the Bobcats answered in the bottom of the second with a two-RBI single from Huber. Washington State went up again with a solo home run in the top of the third, but Texas State again answered. In the bottom of the fourth, they used back-to-back singles from Perez and Sherley and a walk to load the bases. A walk for Jaylen Hubbard and a hit by pitch for Ortega brought in two runs to put the Bobcats up, 4-3.
 
In the fifth, Huber struck again with another two-RBI hit, this time a double. Lovejoy knocked a double in the sixth inning, then scored on a double to left center from Hill to put the Bobcats up, 7-3. Then WSU scored two runs each in the seventh, ninth and 10^th innings to pull it out in the end.
 
Texas State next travels to Rice for a 6 p.m. game on Wednesday before heading to Corpus Christi, Texas, to face Michigan State, UCF and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Whataburger Field.