CLEBURNE, Texas – The Texas State baseball team (8-2) extended its winning streak to four games after defeating Tarleton State (6-4) Saturday night 9-3 at La Moderna Field as part of the inaugural College Baseball Series in Cleburne.
 
Nolan Moore (1-0) continued his strong start to his collegiate career as he threw five shutout innings with six strikeouts and gave up just two hits to earn his first career win. Shane Connell recorded the final four outs with three coming via a punch out to earn his first career save. Taking the loss was Cort Lowry (0-1) after he gave up two runs on three hits while striking out eight in four innings.
 
Pacing the Bobcats offensively was Dawson Park with a 3-for-5 performance that saw him driving in three runs, score twice and hit a double. Also finishing with three hits was Manny Salas, who also hit a double and had an RBI. Chase Mora had a multi-hit game with two singles.
 
Driving in a run apiece was Blake Beheler, Tanner Carson, Jackson Cotton, Clayton Namken and Samson Pugh.
 
With two outs in the first, Jaquae Stewart singled to left center and Salas followed with a double down the third base line. Park smacked a double to left center to bring in two runs for the early lead.
 
The score remained the same until the sixth. Park singled to right center and would move into scoring position when Mora hit a single back up the middle. Beheler than unleashed on an offering and sent it off the left field wall for an RBI double for his first collegiate hit.
 
After back-to-back walks in the seventh, Salas sent the ball back up the middle for an RBI single to increase Texas State's advantage to 4-0.
 
The Texans would get on the scoreboard with a run in the bottom of the seventh. They followed with two more runs in the eighth to make it a one-run contest.
 
Cotton led off the ninth with a solo home run over the 405-foot sign in centerfield. His third long ball of the season was the start of a five-run frame to put the game away. Also driving in a run in the inning were Carson, Namken, Park and Pugh.
 
Next up for the Bobcats is the second game of the weekend against Abilene Christian on Sunday at 3 p.m. If TXST wins, it will claim the title of the College Baseball Series in Cleburne.
 
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