SAN MARCOS, Texas – Combining to score four runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings, the Texas State baseball team (13-9, 2-2 Sun Belt) defeated ULM (7-14, 0-4 Sun Belt) 5-1 Friday night in the series opener at Bobcat Ballpark.
 
Nicholas Fraze (3-2) picked up the victory after throwing 7.0 innings, tying his season-high. He struck out four while limiting the Warhawks to one run on three hits. Taking the loss was Trey Jeans (0-4) after he gave up two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four in 6.1 innings.
 
Both Kyle Bradford and Zachary Leigh threw an inning of relief and gave up a hit apiece. Leigh did record a strikeout, which came on the final batter of the game.
 
Will Hollis went 2-for-3 with a RBI to extend his reached base streak to 16 games. Dalton Shuffield also had two base knocks while stealing his sixth base of the season. Both Jacob Almendarez and Jaxon Williams drove in a run and scored once.
 
Following back-to-back walks, Hollis smacked a 0-2 offering off the left center field fence that just barely missed leaving the yard. He had to settle for a RBI double to put TXST ahead 1-0.
 
ULM tied the game in the third when Joey Jordan sent the first pitch of the frame off the videoboard in right field for a solo home run.
 
After a one out walk to Almendarez in the seventh, the Warhawks brought in Landon Longsworth from the bullpen. Felipe Rodriguez sent hit sixth offering to left center for a single to put two runners on. Shuffield followed with a bloop single that brought home a run. Jaxon Williams ripped a single of his own to right center to also plate a run and put the Bobcats up 3-1.
 
Texas State extended its lead to four in the eighth on a Ryan Newman sacrifice fly and successful safety squeeze by Almendarez.
 
Leigh got himself into a one out jam in the ninth. He escaped with Newman making a quick stop on a hard hit ball down the right field line and then getting Blake Buckman striking out looking.
 
TXST continues its series with ULM at Bobcat Ballpark on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
 
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