SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State (33-16, 15-9 Sun Belt) completed the series sweep of Georgia State (24-25, 11-13 Sun Belt) on Sunday with two runs in the bottom of the eighth that gave the Bobcats a 7-5 victory Sunday afternoon at Bobcat Ballpark. It was the fourth sweep of the season for TXST and the 13th over the last two campaigns.
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"You just got to find a way this time of year. I thought we played good baseball all weekend long against a really good time," said head coach
Steven Trout. "We did a really good job on the mound and keeping them off balance especially in crucial situations. This team is starting jell right now."
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Jack Stroud (3-2) picked up the win after recording the final five outs of the contest. Cameron Jones (1-2) surrendered the two go-ahead runs in his inning of work to take the loss.
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Making the start was
Tony Robie, who struck out two in five innings while giving up four runs, only one of them earned, on five hits.
Triston Dixon had three strikeouts in 1.2 innings of relief and
Peyton Zabel retired two batters.
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Rashawn Galloway finished 3-for-4 at the plate and scored a run. Both
Peyton Lewis and
Daylan Pena had two hits on the day.
Chase Mora drove in three runs and
Ben McClain totaled two RBI and scored twice.
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The first two batters of the game reached for the Panthers and both would come around to score. First run would be tallied on a throwing error and the second on a groundout.
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Texas State did not trail for long. With two on and facing a 1-0 count, Mora bashed at three-run homer in the next half inning to put the Bobcats in front. It was his 15th long ball of the year to place him in a tie for eighth most in a campaign in team history with Tanner Hill (2016) and Josh Newland (2001).
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Back-to-back singles from Galloway and Lewis started the fourth. After a pitching change,
Ryan Leary hit a deep flyout to center that allowed both runners to tag and move into scoring position. McClain would bring home a run on a sacrifice fly to center that increased the advantage to 4-2.
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A fielding error in the top of the fifth proved costly as Matt Ruiz hit a two-run home run with two outs to tie the game.
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Leary gave TXST the lead again when he crushed the first pitch of the sixth off the batter's eye in center field for his seventh round tripper of the season.
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GSU would get a leadoff homer in the eighth off the bat of Will Mize that tied the contest again.
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A 2-2 offering to Manning was laced down the right field line and died at the bottom of the wall to allow the junior to slide into third for a triple to start the bottom of the eighth. With the infield drawn in, McClain hit a 2-1 pitch back up the middle that saw Mize slide to field it from his shortstop position. Thinking the Southlake, Texas native would be breaking towards home, Mize quickly threw home. However, Manning initially held up and Jones tied to snare the throw but it hit off his glove away from the catch that allowed the junior to scamper home for the go-ahead run and McClain to advance to second.
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Pena would add an insurance run to make it 7-5 when he doubled to left field.
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Stroud set GSU down in order to wrap up the victory.
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Next up for the Bobcats is a trip to the Pelican State to take on Louisiana for a three-game series that beings on Friday at 6 p.m.
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