SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State pitchers had a dominant evening at Bobcat Ballpark on Wednesday in a 6-2 win over Sam Houston. Six Bobcats combined to three-hit the visitors with all the base knocks coming in one inning while recording 12 strikeouts for the first win over the Bearkats in San Marcos since 2011.
 
The victory improved TXST's record to 6-2 while Sam Houston is now at .500 with a 5-5 mark.
 
Earning the victory was Carson Keithley (1-0). The left-hander struck out two in two innings of relief and was the first pitcher out of the bullpen. Also working two shutout innings was Rhett McCaffety, as had three strikeouts in his season debut. Reece Gould struck out two in an inning of work and both Triston Dixon and Tony Robie had a strikeout apiece in one frame of action.
 
Starting on the mound was Peyton Zabel, who went two innings with three strikeouts while allowing two runs on three hits.
 
Jose Gonzalez finished 3-for-4 on the night with one RBI. Both Peyton Lewis and Daylan Pena went 2-for-5 and drove in two runs. Along with Gonzalez, Cade Manning and Kameron Weil each scored twice.
 
TXST got on the scoreboard first when Pena singled to left field and Lewis followed with an RBI single to left center.
 
The lead was short lived as the Bearkats plated two runs in the next half inning their only three hits of the contest. They almost broke the game open with the bases loaded but a deep fly off the bat of Justin Wishkoski was caught at the left field wall by Gonzalez for the final out of the frame.
 
Lewis put Texas State back in front on the first pitch he saw in the fourth on a single to right that brought home Manning. August Ramirez came on as a pinch hitter after a pitching change and hit a deep fly to left. The outfielder misplayed the ball, which hit the turf and bounced over the left field wall for a ground-rule double to plate a second run.
 
Gonzalez added an RBI single in the sixth and Pena plated an insurance run in the eighth.
 
Following a two-out walk in the top of the fourth, Bobcat hurlers retired 14 straight batters until another free pass with one gone in the ninth. Dixon finished off the game by inducing a fly out to Weil and then striking out the final batter.
 
Next up for TXST is a trip to Phoenix for the lone road non-conference series of the regular season. The Bobcats will take on Grand Canyon beginning on Friday at 7 p.m. CT.
 
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