SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State's (31-9, 14-3 Sun Belt) bats started hot and never cooled off the entire game on Saturday against Little Rock (16-18, 6-10 Sun Belt) as the Bobcats claimed the series, the first ever against the Trojans, with a 30-4 victory at Bobcat Ballpark.
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The 30 runs were the most scored by TXST in a conference game and second highest in a contest all-time. Only time with more runs put up by the program was on Mar. 24, 2009 with 33 against Prairie View A&M. The 21 hits on the afternoon were a season-high and the most since the team also had 21 versus Houston Baptist on Apr. 16, 2019.
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"That was a really good day. Offensively that was one of the best days to be apart of with a lot of barrels and good at bats," said head coach
Steven Trout. "
Levi Wells went five innings and gave up no runs to give us a good quality start."
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Levi Wells (5-1) picked up the win as he threw five scoreless innings with four strikeouts and allowed just two hits. Taking the loss was Jacob Weatherley (1-1) after surrendering nine runs on eight hits and three walks in two innings.
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Striking out two in two shutout frames was
Peyton Zabel. Also seeing action on the mound was
Victor Loa (0.2 IP) and
Nick Moore (1.1 IP).
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Six Texas State players finished with multiple hits led by
Dalton Shuffield's 5-for-5 day. The senior shortstop fell a home run shy of the cycle while scoring four times and hitting two doubles and a triple while scoring four times.
Peyton Lewis went 3-for-4 with three RBI and score thrice.
Wesley Faison scored all four times he reached base via a walk.
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Plating a game-high four runs was
Carson Keithley and
John Wuthrich, who hit two home runs.
Jose Gonzalez,
Cade Manning and Shuffield all finished with three RBI and
Kyle Atkinson drove in two.
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The first inning saw TXST score six runs on three-run homers from Lewis and Wuthrich. Gonzalez plated a run on a single back up the middle in the second after Shuffield hit his 12th career triple to set a new program record.
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Six more runs were put up in the fourth followed by a two-run frame in the fourth. The five-run fifth inning began with a solo home run by Wuthrich to center that went 476 feet. Recording their first collegiate hits and RBI was
Carson Keithley and Atkinson.
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The next frame saw the Bobcats score six runs with all coming before anyone was retired. Two of the runs came on a double off the bat of Keithley to center.
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Last four runs of the game for TXST came in the eighth when
August Ramirez scored on a wild pitch.
Cade Manning followed by blasting a 1-1 pitch off the scoreboard in right for a three-run round tripper and the first home run of his career.
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The Trojans would get on the board in the eighth on a three-run homer by Andrew Pickering. The final run game in the final inning as the Bobcats turned a double play with the bases loaded.
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Sunday's series finale is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. from Bobcat Ballpark.
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