JONESBORO, Ark. – After surrendering six runs in the first and trailing by four after five innings, Texas State scored 10 unanswered runs to claim a 13-7 victory over Arkansas State at Tomlinson Field in both team's Sun Belt Conference opener.
 
The Bobcats are now 16-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play while the Red Wolves drop to 4-11 on the season and 0-1 in the Sun Belt.
 
Pitching five scoreless innings of relief was Triston Dixon (2-0) to pick up the win. He allowed a hit and struck out five to match his career high. Brandon Anderson (0-2) took the loss after allowing three runs and not recording an out.
 
Zeke Wood recorded two strikeouts in four innings but surrendered seven runs, only one of them being earned, on four hits and walks.
 
Justin Thompson went 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and scored a career-high four runs. Also finishing with three hits on the night was John Wuthirch. Despite not recording a hit, Cameron Gibbons tied his career best with three RBI. Scoring twice on the night was Wesley Faison, Jose Gonzalez and Dalton Shuffield.
 
It was a rough start in the first as the Red Wolves scored six runs behind four hits and two Bobcat errors.
 
Back-to-back singles from Thompson and Peyton Lewis, respectively, put runners on the corners in the second. Gibbons hit a fly ball to left that was deep enough for Thompson to tag and score to put the Bobcats on the scoreboard.
 
Faison led off the fourth by drawing a walk and Lewis and Thompson followed with consecutive singles to load the bases. Gibbons ground out to the third baseman to plate a run but put two runners in scoring position. Another run came in as Daylan Pena hit a fly ball to left that was dropped by the outfielder as he came charging to cut the deficit to 6-3.
 
ASU was able to get two runners into scoring position with one out in the fifth. After Dixon struck out a batter to get the second out, a failed pickoff attempt by the catcher to third allowed the Red Wolves to score but the runner from second was thrown out at the plate to end the frame.
 
The seventh began with Pena hitting the first pitch to center for a single. After Ben McClain grounded out to short but moved the freshman first baseman into scoring position, Wuthrich laced an RBI single back up the middle for the first of six runs in the frame. Other runs were scored on two bases loaded walks, a balk, a hit by pitch and reaching on a fielder's choice to put Texas State ahead 9-7.
 
Shuffield sent the first pitch of the next inning to right center for a double. Gonzalez replaced him with a double of his own to left field to increase the advantage. Thompson would add to the lead on a single. Two more runs would score on back-to-back errors to make it a five-run advantage for the Bobcats.
 
Next up for TXST is the second game of the series against Arkansas State with first pitch slated for 2 p.m.
 
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