CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – After leaving 10 men on base against Rice on Wednesday, Texas State left eight stranded on Friday against Michigan State to fall to 3-3 on the season. The Spartans used a timely stolen base that eventually led to a run in the sixth and a two-out double to plate the go-ahead run to outlast Texas State, 3-2.
 Starter Lucas Humpal pitched a solid seven innings, tallying five strikeouts to just one walk and holding Michigan State to a manageable three runs. Wes Engle and Pasquale Mazzoccoli were also solid down the stretch in the bottom of the eighth inning to put Texas State in position to win late.
 
Offensively, Luke Sherley busted out with his first career home run, finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. In addition, Granger Studdard was 2-for-4 while Jared Huber went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI to score Texas State's first run of the day.
 
After Michigan State scored a run in the third inning on an RBI double, the Bobcats responded in the fifth inning. With one out, Nick Perez was able to get on base thanks to an error, then back-to-back singles through the left side for Sherley and Huber brought in Perez to tie the game, 1-1.
 
In the top of the sixth, the Bobcats had a chance to score more after back-to-back singles from Cory Geisler and Studdard to start the inning. Unfortunately, Michigan State and pitcher Cam Vieaux would retire three straight to keep the game tied, 1-1. Before that, Vieaux went on a streak to retire 12 consecutive batters from the second out of the first inning to the first out of the fifth. The Spartan offense struck in the bottom of the sixth inning. After a single, MSU stole second, and two batters later a single to right centerfield plated the runner from second base to put Michigan State up, 2-1.
 
Huber caught the first steal attempt of the day, but Michigan State wasn't deterred and stayed with the aggressive base-running philosophy eventually making pay off.
 
Unshaken, the Bobcats bounced back in the top of the seventh. Sherley hit his first career dinger, a solo shot, to lead off the inning and tie the game, 2-2. It was just the second home run given up by Michigan State so far this season.
 
The Spartans continued the back-and-forth game with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to regain the lead, 3-2. A one-out triple for Royce Ando led to a run. With two outs, pinch hitter Chad Roskelly came up with a double to score Ando and put MSU up again.
 
The Bobcats tried to answer in the top of the eighth. Studdard singled and pinch hitter Ryan Newman earned a walk to put two men on base for Texas State. Unfortunately, a fly out and a strikeout looking ended the opportunity for the Bobcats to tie or pull ahead.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Michigan State threatened, putting two men on base with one out, but the Bobcat coaching staff played the inning to perfection. Texas State intentionally walked one batter to load the bases but force a lefty/lefty matchup with freshman Engle. Engle came up big with the strikeout he needed for the second out of the inning. Senior Mazzoccoli came in for the next batter, forcing a pop out to end the inning.
 
Needing one run ini the ninth, Texas State came up short. Dylan Paul, in a pinch hitting role, took a free base on a hit by pinch. Paul has been good for the Bobcats as a pinch hitter, putting together a .500 on-base percentage. The pinch runner to replace Paul, though, was thrown out trying to steal second. On the next pitch, after a six-pitch at-bat, Michigan State pitcher Dakote Mekkes won the battle with a strikeout to end the game.
 
Texas State will continue action at the Kleberg College Classic with a 2 p.m. game against UCF on Saturday followed by a 3 p.m. game on Sunday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.