SAN MARCOS, Texas – While limited to just four hits on the afternoon, all of them were key for Texas State (19-9, 5-4 Sun Belt) in its 7-6 victory Sunday afternoon at Bobcat Ballpark over Arkansas State (9-16, 1-6 Sun Belt) to claim the series.
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"At the end of the day you have to find a way to win by a run. That is what we did twice this weekend and three times this week. Any time you win, no matter who you chalk it up, you go home happy. The key is they won every area of the baseball game, but we won the most important part at the end of the game," said head coach
Steven Trout. "I told the team I'm excited because we went 3-1 this week and I didn't feel like we played very well all week along. Anytime you can win three games and not play your best, that is a sign of good things to come."
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Picking up his second win of the week was
Tony Robie (4-0). The right-hander went four innings and struck out one in each frame while giving up two runs on three hits.
Jack Stroud had two strikeouts in the ninth to earn his second save of the season. Taking the loss was Chase Armstrong, who surrendered four runs in six walks and one hit in two innings of work.
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Cade Manning went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and three RBI.
Chase Mora scored three times on the afternoon and hit his team leading 10th home run of the year, which also matched the program record by a freshman that was set by Tyler Sibley in 2009.
Ben McClain had the only other hit on the afternoon and drove in a run as well.
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For the first time in the series, the Red Wolves were held scoreless in the first as Robie got Jared Toler to strikeout swinging with two in scoring position.
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Three straight walks load the bases for the Bobcats with one out in the second.
Kameron Weil hit a shallow fly ball to centerfield that normally would not be deep enough for a runner to tag and score. Fortunately, the Blake Burris had to dive to make the catch that allowed Mora to easily tag up and score. McClain followed with a single just past the first baseman to plate another run and put TXST up 2-0.
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Manning increased the advantage to five runs with a 3-run long ball to right center in the next frame.
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ASU would chip away at its deficit with two runs in both the fourth and fifth frames.
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In the sixth, Mora was plunked to start off the frame. Manning would then lace a 3-2 offering to right to put runners on the corners. Max Charlton was able to induce a groundball for a double play that did see Mora score to make it 6-4 contest.
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The Red Wolves got back to within one in the next half inning on a homer off the bat of Brandon Hager.
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Mora gave the Bobcats a key insurance run in the eighth as he sent a 1-1 pitch over the netting in left field for a solo shot.
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Hager would hit his second round tripper of the game with one gone in the ninth to make it a one-run ballgame. Stroud was able to induce a groundout and then got a strikeout looking to close out the game and series.
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Next up for Texas State is a trip to College Station, Texas to take on Texas A&M on Tuesday. First pitch is at 6 p.m. and the game can be viewed on SEC Network+.
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