HOUSTON – The Texas State baseball team (7-3) survived a seven-run ninth by Houston (2-6) to take the first game of the series 11-10 Friday night at Schroeder Field.
 
Picking up the win on the mound was Zachary Leigh (1-1) after going six inning and giving up three runs on six hits. The senior right-hander struck out eight for the second straight game to tie his career-high. Brent Hebert picked up his second save of the year as he recorded the final out of the game. Suffering the loss was Lael Lockhart Jr. (1-1) as he surrendered six runs on seven hits in four innings.
 
Middle Infielders Dalton Shuffield and Jaxon Williams combined to drive in eight of the Bobcats runs with a career-high five coming off the bat of Shuffield. Will Hollis went 3-for-5 and scored a career-high five times that also matched the program single-game record. Recording two hits apiece on the night were Cole Coffey, Wesley Faison, Justin Thompson, John Wuthrich and Shuffield.
 
Striking first their first time to bat, Hollis and Thompson both singled. Shuffield then smacked an 0-1 pitch to left center that the Cougar outfield missed on a diving attempt. That allowed the junior shortstop to truck all the way to third for a 2-RBI triple.
 
The third inning began with Hollis reaching on a throwing error by the shortstop. Thompson would follow by drawing a walk two batters later. Facing a hitters' count at 3-1, Williams hit a shot over the left field wall for his first home run of the season and increase the lead to 5-0.
 
In the fourth, UH was able to get two runs back. The first came on a sacrifice fly by Ian McMillan. Pinch hitter Rey Mendoza drew a free pass with the bases load to bring in the second run.
 
The next half inning began with Hollis beating out an infield single as the Cougars were in a shift. Wuthrich followed by doubling down the right field line to put two in scoring position. Two batters later, Shuffield hit a fly ball deep enough to score Hollis from third to put TXST in front 6-2.
 
UH would cut into the deficit with a solo homer from Kobe Hyland to right field in the sixth.
 
Hollis led off the seventh with a deep fly to left center. The outfielder was there to make the catch but the ball hit off his glove, allowing the McKinney, Texas native to reach second. He would move to within 90 feet of scoring on a fly out by Wuthrich. Shuffield came through with a RBI single to center to increase the advantage to 7-3.
 
After a free pass was drawn by Williams, the Cougars made a call to the bullpen. Wesley Faison made them pay with a single to right center the brought home Shuffield and made it a 5-run lead for the Bobcats.
 
The eighth began with Coffey beating out an infield single. He moved into scoring position on an Isaiah Ortega-Jones sacrifice bunt. Hollis's grounder found its way past the diving second baseman's glove to bring home the ninth run of the game for Texas State.
 
Wuthrich followed by smacking to 0-2 pitch to left center. The ball just missed leave the yard as the junior had to settle for a double. Thompson laced a single through the left side of the drawn in infield to plate a run. A ground out by Shuffield brought in another run to increase the advantage to 11-3.
 
The Cougars were able to respond with seven runs in the bottom of the ninth. Hebert closed the game out by getting Derrick Cherry swinging.
 
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