SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team (9-6) and UConn (7-5) battled in a low-scoring affair Saturday afternoon that saw the Huskies come out on top 4-1 in 12 innings at Bobcat Ballpark.
 
Zachary Leigh (0-1) took the loss after surrendering two of the go-ahead runs. He threw 3.0 innings of relief with two strikeouts, both being the final outs of an inning. Jacob Wallace (1-0) tossed 3.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts to earn the win while Karl Johnson worked the 12th to pick up his first save of the season.
 
Both Will Hollis and Dalton Shuffield went 2-for-5 at the plate. Skyler Valentine was the only other Bobcat with a hit on the day. Scoring the team's lone run was Jaylen Hubbard.
 
Hunter McMahon threw 6.1 innings with four strikeouts in his fourth start of the season. The sophomore right-hander did allow a run on three hits and two walks. Kyle Bradford struck out one in 1.2 scoreless innings of relief. Anthony Pagano worked an inning and gave up a run on two hits.
 
UConn saw both of its first batters reach base. Michael Woodworth broke early from second and was thrown out at third by McMahon but Anthony Prato took second on the play and would then steal third. He scored when John Toppa flew out to right field for a sacrifice fly to give the Huskies an early advantage.
 
In the sixth, Hubbard was hit by the first pitch of the frame. Hollis then singled back up the middle. Valentine laid down a bunt to move both runners into scoring position. However, UConn's Thad Phillips overthrew the first baseman to allow Hubbard to score from second and tie the game at 1-1.
 
TXST had a chance to end the game in the 10 when Hubbard walked and later advanced to third when Hollis singled through the right side with just one out. Unfortunately, Wallace induced two popups to get out of the jam.
 
In the bottom of the 11th, Ryan Newman nearly hit a walk off home run to left field but the ball was caught on the warning track.
 
The next half inning saw Michael Chiovitti and Paul Gozzo hit back-to-back homers. Another run would score when Toppa singled to right center to bring home Woodworth.
 
In the bottom half of the 12th, Shuffield led off with a single to right center. Jaxon Williams then drew a walk and a wild pitch advanced Shuffield to third. The game though would end with a strikeout followed by a hitting into a double play.
 
The series concludes on Sunday at 12 p.m. at Bobcat Ballpark.
 
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