SAN MARCOS, Texas – Coming off a 21-hit game on Tuesday, the bats stayed hot for the Texas State baseball team (25-13, 10-6 Sun Belt) as it outslugged Arkansas State (22-17, 8-8 Sun Belt) 16-14 Thursday night at Bobcat Ballpark.
 
Both Jaylen Hubbard and Jaxon Williams recorded three hits apiece while Travon Benton and Dalton Shuffield had two each. As a team, the Bobcats drew 13 walks with two free passes being issued to Will Hollis, Skyler Valentine, Benton and Williams.
 
Earning the win on the mound was Dontate Woodard (2-0) as he recorded two outs while allowing one run. Anthony Pagano picked up his first save of the season and second in his career as he recorded the final two outs of the contest. Suffering the loss was Payton Lannon (1-1) after the right-hander allowed the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Hunter McMahon went 5.1 innings and matched his season-high of six strikeouts. Kyle Bradford was the most effect reliever for either team after getting all five batters he faced out.
 
With a strong wind blowing in at the start of the game, the Red Wolves were able to strike first in the second when Justin Felix hit a RBI triple off the center field wall. He would score two batters later when Tyler Duncan hit a sacrifice fly to put the visitors ahead 2-0.
 
The Bobcats got on the scoreboard in the third. With one out, they loaded the bases off a Hubbard double and back-to-back walks to Williams and Hollis. After a call to the bullpen, John Wuthirch was issued a free pass on five pitches to plate TXST's first run of the game.
 
Benton reached on a fielder's choice as he beat out a throw to first on a potential inning-ending double play to bring home another run. A wild pitch allowed Hollis to score to put Texas State in front 3-2.
 
The lead held until the top of the fifth. ASU scored two runs on consecutive singles to take the lead again. Kyle MacDonald expanded on the advantage with a two-RBI double down the left field line. The Bobcats were able to throw out the senior first baseman at third as he tried to take advantage of a toss to the plate.
 
Hubbard led off the bottom of the frame by doubling down the left field line. After a walk to Hollis, Wuthrich smashed a 1-2 offering over the left field wall for his fourth home run of the season that have all come in the past six games and tie the game.
 
TXST retook the lead with a four-run sixth inning. The first run was scored on a throwing error by the Red Wolves' shortstop to first base. Two runs were plated on a doubled from Benton and one came in off a Shuffield double.
 
In the seventh, pinch runner Jacob Almendarez scored from second when the third baseman throw to first was wide of the bag on a Hubbard infield single. Three batters later with the bases juiced, Benton singled through the right side to plate two runs and increase the advantage to 13-6.
 
Things fell apart in the top of the eighth as the Red Wolves scored seven runs to tie the contest. ASU recorded only two hits in the frame was Bobcat pitchers walked six and hit one batter. The biggest of the two hits was a Felix three-run homer to right field.
 
The bottom of the frame started with Cole Coffey and Valentine being walked. Both were moved into scoring position when Felipe Rodriguez laid down his second sacrifice bunt of the game. The Red Wolves decided to intentionally walk Hubbard to load the bases for a chance at an inning-ending double play.
 
The move backfired as Williams smacked the first pitch he saw to right center for a single to bring home two runs. Hollis then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to give TXST a 16-13 advantage.
 
Bobcat pitchers continued to struggle finding the strike zone as ASU's first two batters in the ninth were walked. A single by Tyler Duncan plated a run but Valentine gunned out a runner at third for the innings first out. Following the third free pass of the frame, Pagano was called to the mound.
 
The senior left-handed induced an infield fly to Shuffield on the first pitch he threw. Pagano was then able to get strikeout Drew Tipton to end the wild affair.
 
Friday's game of the series will see first pitch at 6 p.m.
 
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