DECATUR, Ga. – The Texas State baseball team picked up a pair of Sun Belt Conference victories over Georgia State Saturday at GSU Baseball Complex.
 
The Bobcats (20-15-1, 8-7 SBC) swept the three-game series to creep back over the .500 mark in league play, while the Panthers dropped to 17-18 overall and 5-9 in SBC action.
 
TXST won the first game of the doubleheader by a 10-5 margin in 11 innings. The maroon and gold then wrapped up the weekend with a decisive 9-3 triumph in the nightcap.
 
Senior Luke Sherley led the way at the plate with a whopping six hits across the two games. Junior Jaylen Hubbard belted five on the day, while senior Derek Scheible and junior Jacob Almendarez finished with four hits each.
 
The Bobcats recorded 31 hits Saturday and had hit totals of 15, 15 and 16 in the three victories over the Panthers. The 46 hits are by far a new season high for a weekend set. The last time TXST recorded at least 46 hits in a weekend series was a sweep of Central Arkansas on April 18-20, 2008.
 
Texas State will remain on the road for a midweek tilt at No. 19 Texas A&M. The Bobcats and Aggies will lock up at 6:30 p.m. April 17 at Blue Bell Park in College Station, Texas.
 
TEXAS STATE 10, GEORGIA STATE 5 (11)
Texas State had to fight tooth and nail to fend off another late rally from the Panthers. The two teams split individual tallies in the third, but the Bobcats went ahead with a two-spot in the sixth. They added another two in the top of the eighth and looked to be cruising with a seemingly comfortable 5-1 lead.
 
Georgia State fought back though, scoring three in the bottom of the eighth and one in the bottom of the ninth to force extras. GSU left runners stranded in scoring position in each of the ninth and 10th innings, and the visitors would eventually take advantage of the failed opportunities.
 
TXST erupted for five runs in the top of the 11th, and that would be all the team would need to slam the door on the series-clinching triumph.
 
Almendarez finished 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs. Sherley, Hubbard, Scheible, senior Dylan Paul and junior Ryan Newman all tallied two hits. Scheible scored twice and true freshman Dalton Shuffield had two RBIs. Senior Jared Huber drew a career-high four walks and scored twice.
 
Sophomore Nicholas Fraze pitched the first 6.0 innings and left after conceding one run on six hits. He struck out three and walked one. Junior Brayden Theriot (1-1) allowed the game-tying run in the ninth but was effective in the extra periods to collect his first win. He struck out three, walked two and allowed two hits. Junior Braden Pearson tossed a clean 11th, striking out two.
 
Justin Jones, Brandon Bell and Kalen Puckett all had two hits for Georgia State. Puckett scored twice.
 
Jake Rogers was first on the mound and he left after allowing three runs on four hits, while striking out two and walking seven. The home side burned through four relievers in the game.
 
TEXAS STATE 9, GEORGIA STATE 3
The Bobcats put the hammer down in the finale, plating three runs in the top of the second and four in the top of the sixth to pull away from the Panthers.
 
Sherley tied his career-high with four hits, while driving in three runs and scoring once. Hubbard went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Shuffield and Scheible also had two hits each. Shuffield scored twice, and Scheible recorded his team-leading ninth home run of the season. Junior Jonathan Ortega went just 1-for-3 but used two walks to help him score three times.
 
Texas State used three pitchers who all went 3.0 innings. Junior starter Wes Engle tossed the first third of the game and left after conceding two runs on two hits, while striking out one and walking seven. Sophomore Broc Bosse (2-0) earned the win after pitching the middle third. He gave up one run on two hits, while striking out four and walking one. Junior Kyle Bradford earned his first save as a Bobcat after throwing the final third. He gave up no runs on one hit, while striking out five and walking zero.
 
GSU starter Jordan Lee made it 5.0 innings but was touched up for six runs on 10 hits. He struck out four and walked two. Three relievers combined to allow three additional runs on six hits.
 
Kendall Ford had two of the Panthers five hits, and he also scored two of their three runs.

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