SAN MARCOS, Texas – Trailing by two runs entering the eighth inning, the Texas State baseball team (4-1) scored four times in the frame for an 8-6 comeback victory over Gonzaga (1-4) in the series opener Friday Night at Bobcat Ballpark against the future Pac-12 Conference foe.
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Alizaeh Gutierrez (1-0) picked up his first win as a Bobcat after striking out two in an inning of relief. Working a scoreless ninth was
Wade Cooper to earn his first collegiate save. Zach Bowman (0-2) gave up four runs on five walks and three hits to take the loss.
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Starting on the rubber and going 3.2 innings with three strikeouts was
Kyle Froehlich and
Alec Beversdorf tossed 3.1 scoreless innings of relief with two punch outs.
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Dawson Park went 3-for-4 with three RBI. The trio of
Rashawn Galloway,
Chase Mora and
Manny Salas finished with two hits apiece. Mora plated two runs and Galloway drove in one. Both of the seniors also scored twice. Finishing with an RBI apiece was
Brady Boles and
Zachary Gingrich.
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The Bobcats struck first when Galloway led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run down the right field line. Park doubled the lead with an RBI single through the right side that brought Salas home.
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In the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs scored five runs to take the lead. The biggest hit of the frame was a three-run homer from Ryder Young.
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Texas State cut into its deficit with Boles and Park hitting RBI doubles and singles, respectively, in the fifth.
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A single through the right side in the eighth brought in another run for the visitors to increase their advantage to 6-4.
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Samson Pugh started off the eighth by working a free pass. A single by Galloway and
Austin Munguia was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Mora. The Tomball, Texas native sent a 0-2 offering the opposite way and saw the ball hit off the right field wall for a two-run double to tie the game.
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After
Manny Salas was intentionally walked, Park worked a free pass to bring in the go-ahead run. Another walk was drawn by Gingrich two batters later to plater an insurance run.
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Game two of the series between the teams is set for a 2:30 p.m. first pitch.
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