SAN MARCOS, Texas – Both
Wesley Faison and
Dalton Shuffield hit two home runs apiece in 15-ranked Texas State's (39-11, 21-4 Sun Belt) 7-5 series opening victory Friday night at Bobcat Ballpark over Louisiana (30-18, 17-8 Sun Belt). The four homers hit by the senior duo are the most that the Ragin' Cajuns have given up in a game this season.
Faison finished the night 4-for-5 with four RBI and hit two doubles. His two homers gave him 10 on the season to join
John Wuthrich and Shuffield with double-digit round trippers. They are the first Bobcat trio with 10 or more homers in a season since 2011.
"Sometimes you see golf ball up there and sometimes you see beach balls," said Faison. "Tonight, it just kind of went my way and I was happy to help the team win."
Shuffield went 3-for-5 at the dish with three runs, two RBI and two stolen bases. Also posting a multi-hit game was
Peyton Lewis as he went 2-for-2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch.
Picking up the win was
Zeke Wood (6-1) as he struck out two in 5.2 innings while allowing four runs on four hits.
Tristan Stivors picked up his 13th save, tying the program's season record, with a perfect ninth inning that included a strikeout. Suffering the loss was Brandon Talley (3-3) that saw him surrender five runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings.
Triston Dixon recorded three strikeouts in 2.1 innings out of the bullpen.
Shuffield led of TXST's half of the first with a single down the third baseline that hit off the bag. After
Justin Thompson drew a walk, the two seniors pulled off a successful double steal. Faison then crushed a 1-2 offering to left center for his first homer of the night and give the Bobcats an early 3-0 advantage.
It would take until the fifth before either team scored again. Faision smashed a 1-1 offering to right center for his 10th home run of the season. Another run was tacked on in the frame on an infield single off the bat of
Cameron Gibbons.
UL got on the scoreboard in the next half inning. Two runs scored on a double by Carson Roccaforte and two more were plated on a homer from Julian Brock that cut the Bobcats' led to a run.
The bottom of the frame began with Shuffield hitting a homer off the scoreboard to make it a 2-run lead.
Roccaforte hit a solo round tripper in the eight to again cut Texas State's advantage to a run. Shuffield answered in the next half inning with his second solo shot of the night.
Stivors came on and needed only nine pitches to close out the contest.
Saturday's game will see first pitch at 4 p.m. with the team's seniors being recognized prior to the game.
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