LAFAYETTE, La. – The Texas State baseball team (29-13, 13-6 Sun Belt) jumped out to a 10-run advantage before hanging on to defeat Louisiana (20-25, 8-11 Sun Belt) 13-9 Friday night at Russo Park.
 
Picking up the win out of the bullpen was Kyle Bradford (1-0). He tossed 1.2 innings with a strikeout while giving up a hit and two unearned runs. Zachary Leigh earned his team-high third save of the season after throwing 2.2 scoreless innings and striking out three. Brandon Young (2-5) took the loss as he gave up five runs on six hits and four walks in 4.1 innings.
 
Both Will Hollis and Jaylen Hubbard recorded three hits and two doubles apiece to pace the Bobcats at the plate. Hollis drove in four runs while Hubbard scored three times.
 
Compiled two hits apiece were Ryan Newman and Jaxon Williams. Newman plated two runs as well as Skyler Valentine. Felipe Rodriguez finished with 3 RBIs.
 
Shuffield battled and was able to draw a walk his first time at the plate for the game in the second. He then advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt on a wild throw by the pitcher. A 1-1 pitch was hammered into the left center gap by Valentine to plate the first run of the game.
 
In the bottom half of the inning, the Ragin' Cajuns Orynn Veillon led off with a double. Two batters later, he misled a ball hit to right field as Travon Benton easily caught the fly ball and doubled off the runner to end the frame.
 
Hubbard led off the fifth with a double to center field as the outfielders lost it in the lights. Following a walk to Williams, Hollis doubled down the left field line over the outstretched glove of the leaping third baseman to bring home TXST's second run of the game.
 
After Travon Benton was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Shuffield singled through the left side to plate a run. Valentine followed by drawing a walk in a nine-pitch plate appearance to score the Bobcats third run of the frame. A 1-1 pitch was lashed through the right side for a two-RBI single from Newman.
 
Rodriguez bashed a 3-1 offering over the left field fence for a three-run home run for his third homer of the season. The final run of the frame came when Hollis singled to center field to give Texas State a 10-0 advantage.
 
The shutout came to an end in the next half inning when O'Neal Lochridge singled to right center to bring home Daniel Lahare. Two more runs would score when Brennan Breaux doubled down the left field line to cut the Bobcats' lead to seven runs.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Lochridge reached on a throwing error and the following two batters were walked to load the bases. Todd Lott then singled through the left side to bring home two runs and make it a 10-5 TXST advantage.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns continued to tack on runs as they scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the Bobcats lead to one.
 
Following a scoreless eighth for both teams, Valentine battled was able to draw a free pass to start off the top of the ninth. The senior outfielder moved into scoring position when Newman laid down a sacrifice bunt. On the second pitch he saw, Rodriguez hit a hard shot back up the middle that hit off the pitcher, who recovered but threw wide of first that allowed Valentine to score and Rodriguez to move to second.
 
Hubbard then drew a walk and Williams hit an infield single to load the bases. On the first pitch he saw, Hollis ripped a shot that fell just fair down the right field line and bounced into the stands for a two-RBI ground-rule double to increase the lead to 13-9.
 
The first two Cajun batters were issued free passes before Leigh induced a ground ball to Hubbard to start a double play. The junior right-hander then got Veillon looking to close out the contest.
 
Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
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