SAN MARCOS, Texas – After South Alabama (23-18, 9-11 Sun Belt) scored eight straight runs over the final four innings to tie the score, Daylan Pena hit a walk-off RBI single to left center for Texas State (34-10, 17-3 Sun Belt) to claim an 11-10 win Saturday at Bobcat Ballpark. The victory also clinched the series for the Bobcats, their 10th of the season.
 
Pena finished 2-for-4 at the plate with two walks and a run scored along with his game-winning RBI. Justin Thompson finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored while hitting his eighth home run of the year. A 3-for-6 day at the plate saw Dalton Shuffield hit his first career grand slam. Also finishing with two hits on the afternoon was Cameron Gibbons and Isaiah Ortega-Jones.
 
Picking up the win was Tristan Stivors (6-1) as he struck out two in 1.2 innings of work. Seth Carter (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up the deciding run while working 1.1 innings.
 
Levi Wells struck out four and allowed six hits in six innings on the mound. Austin Smith threw 1.1 innings out of the bullpen.
 
Shuffield hit a 2-1 pitch back up the middle for a single. The very next pitch saw Thompson send the ball over the right centerfield wall to give the Bobcats an 2-0 lead after the first.
 
The Jaguars answered back the next half inning with a solo shot from Joseph Sullivan.
 
With two gone in the bottom of the second, Gibbons hit a bloop single to right center. Ortega-Jones was hit by a pitch and Ben McClain worked a walk to load the bases for Shuffield. The senior shortstop crushed a 1-2 offering to left center for a grand slam and 10th round tripper of the season to make it a 6-1 TXST advantage.
 
Another solo homer was hit by USA, this time off the bat Hunter Stokes, to cut the lead to four after the top of the fourth.
 
Thompson started the fifth with a single through the left side. Two free passes to John Wuthrich and Pena, respectively, loaded the bases for Wesley Faison. The senior worked a walk to bring in a run. Gibbons hit a deep fly to right center for a sacrifice fly and Ortega-Jones followed with a two RBI single to put the Bobcats up 10-2.
 
Stokes hit his second solo home run of the game in the top of the sixth. USA added two more runs in the seventh, one in the eight and struck for four in the ninth to tie the game.
 
With one out, McClain hit a ball back up the middle for a single. After a ground out that moved the junior outfielder into scoring position, Thompson was intentionally walked and Wuthrich battled for a free pass to load the bases. Pena fouled off four pitches with two strikes before straightening the 10th pitch he saw to left center for the game-winning hit.
 
The series with the Jaguars concludes tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.
 
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