SAN MARCOS, Texas – Patience at the plate in the bottom of the eighth proved to be the difference as Texas State (20-27) won the series opener 6-3 over South Alabama (25-16) Friday night at Bobcat Ballpark.
 
Trailing 3-1 entering the later half of the eighth, John Wuthrich led off and reach on a bad throw by the third baseman that also allowed him to reach second. The Jaguars made a call to the bullpen to Tyler Samaniego. The lefty walked Will Hollis and issued a free pass to Justin Thompson despite getting ahead in the count 0-2 to load the bases.
 
Isaiah Ortega-Jones was called upon to pinch hit and drew a walk to cut the deficit to a run. USA made brought in Tyler Perez out of the bullpen but he put Dalton Shuffield on via a walk that tied the game. Cole Coffey settled for a sacrifice fly after just missing hitting a grand slam that put the Bobcats in front 4-3.
 
Bryce Bonner followed with another sacrifice fly on a pop up that everybody except the right field lost in the lights. Chase Evans recorded the lone hit of the frame when he tripled to left center that plated Shuffield to make it a 6-3 advantage for TXST.
 
Cameron Bush set the Jaguars down in order including getting a strikeout looking to end the game to finish off the victory.
 
USA jumped out to a 1-0 lead just two batters into the game when Michael Sandle blasted a 1-2 offering over the left field netting and into center field of the softball stadium.
 
In the bottom of the frame, John Wuthrich led off with a double to left center on the first pitch he saw. After a ground out moved the junior to third, Justin Thompson laced a single to left to tie the game at 1-1.
 
The Jaguars retook the lead in the third on a solo homer by Andrew Bates. They increased their advantage to 3-1 on a Cameron Tissue RBI single in the fourth.
 
Both teams went down in order in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings until a single by USA in the eighth.
 
Bush (2-3) picked up the win after tossing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts out of the bullpen. Samaniego (1-2) was credited with the loss as he allowed three runs and walked three without retiring a batter.
 
Evans went 2-for-4 on the night to pace the Bobcats at the plate. Wuthrich scored twice and Thompson drew two free passes. Shuffield also swiped his eighth base of the season.
 
The series continues Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
 
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