LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Texas State baseball team jumped on McNeese pitchers in route to an 18-10 win in the Lake Area Classic at Joe Miller Ballpark Friday night.
 
With the victory, the Bobcats improve to 3-2 on the season while the Cowboys fall to 3-2.
 
Brayden Theriot (1-0) earned the victory after throwing 2.2 inning of relief, striking out one and allowing four hits and two runs, both unearned. Suffering the loss was McNeese's Rhett Deaton (1-1) after he gave up seven runs on six hits and three walks.
 
Jaylen Hubbard finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored and a RBI. Will Hollis scored four times and drove in four runs while going 3-for-4 at the plate. Recording two hits apiece were Chase Evans, Colton Moore, Jaxon Williams and John Wuthrich. Scoring three times thanks to drawing three walks was Ryan Newman.
 
TXST's hot bats continued from the previous game against Creighton with a three-run first inning. The frame started with Cole Coffey lacing a double down the right field line. Hubbard brought him home with a single back up the middle. Wuthrich followed with a triple to right center and he would go on to score on a Newman sacrifice fly.
 
McNeese responded with two runs in its half of the frame to cut the advantage to 3-2.
 
After scoreless second inning for both teams, the Bobcats would go on to load the bases in the third. Evans singled to right center to plate the first run of the frame. Following a pitching change, Williams ripped a single to right field that scored two runs. Moore would then ground out that added the fourth and final run of the inning to the scoreboard for TXST.
 
Colton Rasbeary led off the Cowboys' half of the inning with a home run to right center to make it a 7-3 contest.
 
With two runners in scoring position, Hollis roped a doubled off the left field wall for his first hit in a Texas State uniform and plate two runs. Williams drew a walk and then advance to second on a wild pitch. This set Moore up for a two-RBI double to left field to increase the lead to 11-3.
 
Hollis singled and Evans doubled to plate a run apiece with two outs in the fifth. A wild pitch allowed Hollis to score to make it a 14-3 advantage for the Bobcats.
 
McNeese answered back with five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Capping off their scoring was Nate Fisbeck with a two-RBI double. Theriot came on and got the final out of the inning, a ground out to second, on the first pitch he threw.
 
Neither team scored again until Hollis homered to right center to start the seventh. Riley King increased the lead to 16-8 when he stole third and advance the final 90 feet as the throw sailed over the third baseman's glove.
 
The Cowboys plated two on back-to-back singles from Carson Maxwell and Jake Dickerson in the bottom of the eighth.
 
In the top of the ninth, King recorded his first RBI of the season when he reached on an error that allowed Travon Benton to score. After a wild pitch moved King into scoring position, Moore doubled to left center to plate the final run of the game.
 
The Bobcats continue the Lake Area Classic on Saturday with a scheduled 2 p.m. game against Creighton.
 
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