SAN MARCOS, Texas – A 20-5 victory on Saturday at Bobcat Ballpark clinched the series for Texas State (2-0) over Northwestern (0-2). All nine starters and 11 total Bobcats ended the afternoon with a hit.
 
"It all starts with Zeke Wood and gave us a great chance to win the game. The biggest inning was when Triston Dixon came in with runners on the corners and the wind blowing out," said head coach Steven Trout. "It can get scary at times, but he got a groundball for a double play and a strikeout. That allowed our bats to come alive."
 
"There in the third it was fun with back-to-back-to-back home runs and Chase Mora with his first at-bat being a home run. A lot of great swing throughout the day and quality at bats."
 
Zeke Wood (1-0) picked up the win after striking out five in five innings while allowing two runs on four hits. Both Reece Gould and Triston Dixon threw a shutout inning out of the bullpen. Also pitching an inning of relief were Carson Keithley and Peyton Zabel.
 
A big day at the plate saw Jose Gonzalez go 2-for-3 with four RBI and hitting a double and his first home run of the season. Joining Gonzalez in hitting a ball out of the park was Chase Mora, Daylan Pena and August Ramirez.
 
Finishing with two RBI on the day were Kyle Atkinson, Ryder Hernandez, Davis Powell and Pena. Cade Manning went 3-for-3 with a triple and scored four runs.
 
The Wildcats struck first in the second with one run. Ryan Leary started the bottom of the third by being plunked and Manning followed by drawing a walk. After the next two batters were retired, Gonzalez smashed a 1-0 offering over the batters' eye that traveled an estimated 447 feet.
 
Pena followed with a blast off the batters' eye and Ramirez made it three straight homers with an opposite field shot to left. Hernandez almost made it four consecutive dingers when he appeared to flyout to the right fielder on the warning track, but he reached base due to catcher's interference.
 
Northwestern would tack on a run in the top of the sixth. The bottom of the frame saw TXST send 11 batters to the plate with seven coming around to score. Plating two runs each in the inning was Hernandez and Powell.
 
After the Wildcats got two runs back in the next half inning, the Bobcats answered right back their next time up. Pena beat out a grounder to bring home a run. Mora came on as a pinch hitter and sent the second pitch he saw of his collegiate career 417 feet over the left center field fence for his first hit and homer.
 
The eighth inning began with NU plating another run, and again TXST answered right back to conclude the scoring with three more runs. The last two came on a single to center off the bat of Atkinson.
 
Sunday sees the series conclude with first pitch slated for 12 p.m.
 
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