SAN MARCOS, Texas – On another windy day, Texas State fell late to Sam Houston by a score of 4-2 on Saturday at Bobcat Ballpark.
"I thought Sam Hall threw the ball well and was a big bright spot for us, but they found a way to win the game and we found a way not to win the game. It was really on all sides of the baseball today," said head coach Steven Trout. "The difference between winning games against good teams is you either find ways to win or lose them. Unfortunately, for the last two days we have come up on the losing side and hopefully we come out tomorrow and salvage the series."
The Bobcats are now 7-7 on the season while the Bearkats improved to 10-5.
Finishing with two hits, one double and one RBI each was Chase Mora and Cameron Thompson. Three walks were drawn by Daylan Pena.
Taking the loss on the mound was Peyton Zabel (1-1) after he allowed three runs, only one of them earned, on two hits in an inning of relief. Michael Watson (1-0) struck out four in two scoreless innings to pick up the win and Chandler Davis recorded the final two outs to earn his third save of the year.
Making his second start of the season, Sam Hall recorded a quality start as the right-hander went 6.1 innings and allowed just one run with three punch outs. Otto Wofford tossed 1.1 scoreless innings and Rhett McCaffety recorded his only out by strikeout.
TXST had a chance to get on the scoreboard in the first. With two outs, Mora doubled to left center, Pena saw a 10-pitch at-bat end via a walk and Thompson had an infield single to load the bases. A groundout ended the frame and left all three runners on base.
It would be Sam Houston that scored first as it loaded the bases with one out in the fifth. A fielder's choice would allow a run to score.
In the bottom of the frame, Ryne Farber led off by hitting a fly ball to left center that was dropped by a Bearkat to put the freshman on second base. Two batters later, Mora singled to left field to tie the game.
Pena would be walked on four pitches to force a Bearkat pitching change. A failed pickoff throw would see both runners move into scoring position. A 2-1 pitch would lace a double to right field to put the Bobcats in the lead 2-1.
The score would remain the same until the top of the eighth. Two singles, two walks, one hit by pitch and an error led to three Bearkat runs to go back in front.
In the bottom half of the inning, Davis Powell was walked and moved up to second on a wild pitch. But he would be left on there as the frame ended.
The series concludes on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
