SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team closed out its weekend Sun Belt Conference series with a 7-4 win over ULM Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Ballpark.
 
The triumph earned the Bobcats (22-15, 9-6 SBC) a series victory, while the Warhawks fell to 10-27 overall and 5-10 in the SBC.
 
ULM initially scored first when Cade Stone sent the first pitch of the game over the right field wall, but TXST plated five runs in the first two frames to take what would be an insurmountable lead.
 
The maroon and gold has now scored in the first inning in each of the team's last 10 Sun Belt contests.
 
The Warhawks were able to push two across in the fourth, but Texas State countered with solo tallies in the fifth and eighth frames to stay on top by the three-run cushion.
 
True freshman Nicholas Fraze (4-1) recorded the fifth quality start in his last six outings, as he went 7.0 innings and conceded just three runs on three hits. He also fanned five and walked four. Fellow true freshman Broc Bosse logged the final 2.0 frames and earned the first save of his career. He only gave up one run on a pair of hits.
 
Junior Theodore Hoffman powered the offense with a 3-for-4 effort at the dish. He drove in two runs and scored twice. Sophomores Jacob Almendarez, Jonathan Ortega and Jaylen Hubbard all registered two hits each. Ortega posted two RBIs and scored once, while Hubbard drove in two runs.
 
Texas State outhit ULM 12-5, and neither team committed an error.
 
Tyler Cox was the lone Warhawk with multiple hits, as he finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBIs and one run.
 
Starting pitcher Keegan Curtis (1-4) was pulled after throwing just one inning. He gave up five runs on just four hits, while walking two and striking out zero. ULM needed four additional bullpen arms to get through the rest of the day.
 
Texas State is now set to wrap up a season-long series with Texas at 6:30 p.m. April 18 in Austin. The Bobcats won the first game on March 21 in San Marcos, and the Longhorns defeated TXST this past week (April 11) at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
 
TEXAS STATE PITCHING COACH JEREMY FIKAC
Opening Statement…
"We obviously were disappointed with how Thursday went, but we were competitive in the bottom of the ninth and had an opportunity to get back in it and win it. It's what this team is about. They don't stop fighting. They're very competitive ball players. That's special. We haven't been playing our best baseball over the last 10 games, but that's something that we're continuing to harp on. We still believe in these guys that we're going to get this done. The offense has been really consistent and the pitching is slowly getting better, but we can still get better in every facet of the game. There's some at-bats that we give away, and there's some pitches that we don't execute. If we're going to be a championship team, we have to clean that up. They're in the right mindset to focus in and get that done."
 
On allowing a leadoff home run…
"(Cade Stone) guessed right, and you have to just tip your hat. But if you've watched enough of our games, if we give up solo home runs they're not going to beat us. The one (Nicholas Fraze) is probably most disappointed about was when he walked a batter and then gave up a home run (to Tyler Cox in the fourth inning). We're aggressive on the first pitch, and Fraze got right back in there and sat down the next four batters. For our offense to punch back, that was a key part of the game."
 
On Nicholas Fraze…
"There's a lot of growth with him, and that's exciting. We signed him with about three or four weeks left before the fall started. I can't imagine where we would be without him. He gets us to the sixth/seventh inning in those final conference games, which saves our bullpen. Usually in those weekend series, that's when you have to start going to your fifth, sixth or seventh bullpen arm, but he's gone out there and he's continuing to get better. He's so competitive. He doesn't want to come out of those games. He's been great for us. He's giving us everything he's got."
 
On heading out on the road for the next nine games…
"This is a special time of year. It's enjoyable to go on the road outside of the travel and being at the airport. When you get to go spend time with your teams away from school and you get to do some team meals and team bonding things together, those are special times that baseball allows you to do. It's four days and three nights together, and that's where a lot of brotherhoods are formed."
 
-TxStateBobcats.com-