LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Down two key players, the Texas State baseball team (34-17, 18-9 Sun Belt) saw all nine batters record a hit and drive in a run in a 13-9 victory over Little Rock (24-26, 15-11 Sun Belt) Sunday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field to salvage the series.
 
Dalton Shuffield led off the game by doubling to right field. A walk to Will Hollis and a booted ball on a ground hit by John Wuthrich loaded the bases for the Bobcats. Two batters later, Skyler Valentine laced a single to left field that fell just in front of the outfielder to bring home a run.
 
Ryan Newman followed by singling to right field to plate two more runs. A perfectly executed hit and run by Riley King resulted in an RBI single. Another RBI single came off the bat of Cole Coffey to up TXST up 5-0 after its first time at the plate.
 
The Trojans answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. The first came after three straight singles while the second was plated on a sacrifice fly.
 
In the second, LR scored another run on a double play to make it a 5-3 Texas State advantage.
 
The next half inning began with Valentine hitting a slow chopper to third for an infield single. After King was walked, Coffey laced a single to right field for to bring home a run while the right fielder bobbled the ball to allow King advance to third.
 
Following a pitching change, Felipe Rodriguez put down a safety squeeze bunt that brought in King to increase the lead to 7-3.
 
Three consecutive doubles in the fifth allowed the Trojans to cut their deficit to two runs.
 
In the seventh, LR added another run when Ryan Benavidez singled back up the middle to cut TXST's lead to 7-6.
 
Facing a full count in the top of the eighth, Hollis smashed the offering over the center field fence for his sixth home run of the season and add an insurance run to the Bobcats' total. Wuthrich followed with a double to right center and would score on a single from Travon Benton to make it a 9-6 Texas State advantage.
 
The Trojans responded with a run in the bottom of the frame on an Edwin Figueroa single back up the middle.
 
On the second pitch of the top of the ninth, Newman blasted it over the right field fence for his second solo homer of the series. Two walks and a fielding error loaded the bases for the Bobcats with no one gone. Shuffield came through with a single back up the middle that brought home two runs. After a walk, Wuthrich reached on a fielder's choice that plated the fourth run of the frame and give TXST a 13-7 lead.
 
The insurance runs were important as LR scored twice in the bottom of the inning for the final runs of the contest. A ground out to Newman ended the game in favor of Texas State.
 
Earning the win on the mound was Connor Reich, who improves to 8-1 on the season. His victory total is the most for a Bobcat hurler since Austen Williams won eight contests in 2014. On Sunday, Reich struck out three in five innings while allowing five runs on nine hits. Zachary Leigh earned his fourth save of the season after working the final two innings. Suffering the loss was Jose Torres (2-4) after he surrendered five runs on five hits and recording just one out in the first inning.
 
Leading TXST batters at the plate was Coffey with a 3-for-4 effort and driving in two runs. Newman finished with three RBIs and recorded two hits while Shuffield had two hits and two RBIS. Also finished with two base knocks was Valentine.
 
Next up for the Bobcats is the finale series of regular season series against rival UT Arlington. It begins on Friday at 6 p.m. at Bobcat Ballpark.
 
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