SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team posted a season high in runs to defeat Richmond 18-3 Friday night at Bobcat Ballpark.
 
In the first ever meeting between the programs, the Bobcats erupted for a season-high 17 hits and added a quality start on the mound to keep the Spiders (3-5) at bay.
 
TXST got the night started with a pair of markers in the first inning. A bases-loaded double from sophomore Jonathan Ortega in the bottom of the second began a spree of three runs in the second, four in the third and sixth in the fourth that saw the Bobcat lead swell to 15-2.
 
Sophomore Jacob Almendarez had an RBI sacrifice fly in the eighth, and junior Derek Scheible added his team-best third home run of the season to push the run total to 18.
 
Ortega matched his career highs in hits (5-for-6) and doubles (2), while also blasting a home run, scoring twice and registering a career-best seven runs batted in. Scheible finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and four runs scored, and Almendarez drove in a pair of runs.
 
Junior Luke Sherley, making his first appearance this season, finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Junior Theodore Hoffman went 2-for-5 with two RBI, two runs scored and his second homer of the season. Juniors Jaylen Hubbard and Travon Benton both scored a career-high three runs.
 
Sophomore Anthony Pagano (1-1) earned his first-career victory on the mound after conceding just two runs (one earned) on three hits in a career-high 6.0 innings. He also fanned a career-best six batters and walked just one.
 
True freshmen Broc Bosse and Shane Daughety pitched out the remaining three innings. Bosse tossed 2.0 frames and allowed one run on two hits, while Daughety logged a perfect ninth.
 
The Spiders utilized six pitchers overall in the contest. Layne Looney (1-1) started and left after conceding five runs on three hits across 2.0 innings. He struck out four and walked three. At the plate for the visitors, Vinny Capra had two of their five hits after finishing 2-for-4. Daniel Brumbaugh scored twice.
 
The two teams are slated to continue their series at 4 p.m. March 4. Be sure to check TxStateBobcats.com or @TxStateBaseball on Twitter for schedule changes due to impending weather.

TEXAS STATE COACH TY HARRINGTON
Opening Statement...
"This was obviously a big win for us. We need somebody to step up on the mound. Being the Friday night starter is a tough gig for some guys because it's normally the team's best guy. We needed somebody on our team to step up because our Friday starter hasn't gotten out of the third inning so far this year. I like what (Anthony Pagano) was able to do tonight. His command was better than what we've been getting. I was proud of his efforts. I was proud that, when (Richmond) scored two in the second to tie it and we regained the lead, he went out there and put a zero up. That's what you have to do. You're not always going to be able to do that, but, more times than not, if he goes out there and attacks and does what he's capable of doing, he has the opportunity to put up a zero. That's exactly what he did in the third inning. I thought that was huge for our momentum. Everybody was able to exhale a little bit."

On the return of Luke Sherley...
"Luke has been our starting shortstop for the last two years. He's made an incredibly fast recovery. It was fun for us to see him back out there. I know he was nervous and excited, which you could tell by the first ball that was hit to him. If you've never played the game at this level before, it's hard to understand how fast this game really gets played. He was absent for about five weeks, and right out of the gate he had a ball hit right to him. I was proud of how he handled himself after that."

On the offensive performance...
"Tonight's efforts don't really have much of an effect on how the rest of the series will go. (Richmond) will wake up tomorrow and they'll be ready to go. We've been beat before, and you have to wake up the next day and go. You hope that our guys walk out of here feeling pretty good after what they were able to do tonight. But the reality is, when they show up tomorrow, it's a whole different game and both teams start again at 0-0."

-TxStateBobcats.com-