SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State pitchers combined to record 18 strikeouts, one shy of tying the program record, Friday night at Bobcat Ballpark. However, it was Georgia Southern that came out on top 7-4 in 11 innings.
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The Bobcats are now 23-8 overall and 8-2 in the Sun Belt Conference while the Eagles improve to 19-10 on the season and 7-3 in league play.
"What a crazy baseball game. Started as a low scoring game and they scored a run there in the ninth to extend it. Then a lot of craziness happened in extra innings," said head coach
Steven Trout. "It was a great college baseball game."
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"We had multiple chances to win the game, but we just didn't play great defense and gave up too many free 90s. Georgia Southern is a great team. When you play great teams you can't give up that many free passes. It was a tough battle; we are going to flush it and get ready for tomorrow."
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Zeke Wood matched his career-high with 12 strikeouts.
Triston Dixon struck out two and
Tristan Stivors recorded four strikeouts. Stivors (3-1) also took his first loss of the season after throwing 3.2 innings.
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Picking up the win on the mound for GS was Ben Johnson (3-2). The right-hander threw two scoreless innings and struck out three.
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Both
Peyton Lewis and
Daylan Pena had two-hit nights at the plate.
Justin Thompson drove in two runs and
Cameron Gibbons had a pinch-hit double.
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TXST scored a run in the first on an RBI single off the bat of Thompson through the left side. Two more runs came in the fourth on a solo home run by
Jose Gonzalez and a Lewis RBI single to put the Bobcats up 3-0.
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A run apiece was tallied by the Eagles in the fifth and sixth. It would remain a one-run game until the ninth when Christian Avant hit a solo homer to tie the game. The visitors took the lead at 4-3 in the 10 on a squeeze bunt.
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The bottom of the extra frame began with a
Wesley Faison pinch hit single.
Ben McClain and
Dalton Shuffield both laid down bunts and beat them out for base knocks to lead the bases. Thompson hit a slow grounder to short and reached first safely for an RBI fielder's choice to tie the contest.
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In the 11th, the Eagles scored thrice behind a couple of Bobcat miscues to go ahead 7-4.
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Texas State was able to get the tying run to the plate in the next half inning but a deep fly out to center ended the game.
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Saturday's game is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. from Bobcat Ballpark.
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