SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State (13-6, 2-1 Sun Belt) took the series with an 8-5 win on Sunday over 25-ranked Southern Miss (12-7, 1-2 Sun Belt). It is the third time that the Bobcats have won a series over a ranked opponent, also doing so last season (#11 Arizona) and 2017 (#20 Coastal Carolina).
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"I thought it was a really good Sunday win. It was one of those that you would have to keep battling. As soon as you get comfortable in these games they would score another run," said head coach
Steven Trout. "The pitchers did a great job of controlling the strike zone and we won the free 90s battle, which was a huge piece of it. We just kept grinding out at-bats and finding ways to score runs."
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"The story of the weekend for us was playing really good defense.
Davis Powell made great plays and McClain making that catch in center today."
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Triston Dixon (1-0) earned the win on the rubber. The right-hander threw 3.2 innings out of the bullpen while allowing just one run on two hits.
Rhett McCaffety recorded the final two outs to earn his first collegiate save. Suffering the loss Isaiah Rhodes (0-1) as TXST got to him for two runs on three walks and two hits over two innings.
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Starting on the mound was
Nathan Medrano, who struck out five in four innings while surrendering three runs on five hits.
Carson Keithley retired two batters with one via a strikeout.
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Chase Mora led the Bobcats at the plate with a 3-for-4 day as he fell a triple short of hitting for the cycle. The freshman finished with four RBI, scored twice and stole a base.
Ryder Hernandez had two base knocks and scored a run.
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Jose Gonzalez plated two runs while one apiece was driven in by
Peyton Lewis and
Ben McClain, who also swiped two bases.
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As a team, Texas State combined to draw 13 walks and was two shy of tying the program's single-game record. Every starter was issued a free pass at least once with three being drawn by
Davis Powell and two apiece were recorded by
Cade Manning and McClain.
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The Golden Eagles scored first with a two-run home run from Danny Lynch in the second off the scoreboard during the second.
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In the third, three of the first four Bobcat batters were walked to load the bases. The first pitch Gonzalez saw, he sent to left center for a two RBI double. Mora followed two batters later with a single back up the middle that also drove in two runs to put TXST ahead 4-2.
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USM would eventually tie the game with a run apiece in the fourth and fifth innings.
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Mora led off the bottom of the fifth by drawing a free pass and he would advance to third with great base running on Manning's single to right center. The Tomball, Texas native would score as Lewis reached on a fielder's choice. After a sacrifice bunt by Hernandez moved Lewis into scoring position, McClain brought him home with a single through the right side to make it a 6-4 TXST advantage.
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A double by Mora in the next inning plated Pena to make it three-run contest. However, the Golden Eagles got a solo homer from Slade Wilks in the next half inning to make it 7-5.
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USM was able to load the bases with two outs in the eighth off a double and two walks. Matthew Etzel hit a shot to center that ended with McClain making a leaping catch into the wall to prevent a bases clearing hit.
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Mora added an insurance run in the next frame as he crushed a 2-1 pitch to center for his eighth long ball of the year.
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The visitors threatened again in the ninth as two Golden Eagles were able to work walks. McCaffety came on and was able to induce a fly out to Gonzalez and ended the game by getting Matthew Russo to go down looking.
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Next up for TXST is two midweek home games beginning with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
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