Texas State Athletics

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Texas State baseball team (35-22) held on for a 6-5 victory Wednesday morning over App State (30-23) in the second round of the Sun Belt Conference Championship presented by Troy University from DABOS Park.
 
Wade Cooper (6-3) struck out four in six innings and allowed three runs on four hits to pick up the win. Kyle Froehlich recorded the final five outs to earn his second save of the season. Gage Peterson (8-1) went seven innings and surrendered five runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six to take the loss.
 
In his 1.1 innings of relief, Dylan Kerbow recorded two strikeouts.
 
The only Bobcat with a multi-hit game was Rashawn Galloway with two while also scoring once and driving in a run. Both Blake Beheler and Brady Boles hit a double apiece that plated two and one run, respectively. Also finishing with an RBI was Clayton Namken and Manny Salas.
 
The first three batters in the second reached to load the bases. Cooper was able to get out of the jam by allowing just one run.
 
Galloway ripped a double to center field in the next half inning and would score when Salas sent a single back up the middle. The junior designated hitter swiped second and advanced to third as the throw from the catcher was wide of the base. He would tag and score on a fly out off the bat of Namken to put the Bobcats up 2-1.
 
It was a short-lived lead as App State would tally a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.
 
Bennett Fryman led off the sixth with a single to right field. After the next two batters were retired, Boles was hit by a pitch. Beheler would send a 1-1 pitch to deep left center for a two-run double to put TXST back in front. Galloway made it a three-run advantage with a single back up the middle.
 
The Mountaineers got a run back in the bottom of the frame on a solo home run from Jalen Seward.
 
Justin Vossos started the eighth with a single through the right side of the infield. He moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt from Chase Mora and then swiped third. With the infield drawn in, Boles laced a 3-2 pitch down the left field line for an RBI double to extend the lead to 6-3.
 
App State would respond with a run in the next half inning on a single from Nico Soul. With two gone in the ninth, the Mountaineers got an RBI double from Ethan Puig. Froehlich wrapped up the game by inducing a ground out to Mora for the final out.
 
Next up for the Bobcats will be a meeting between either No. 2 Coastal Carolina or No. 7 Louisiana on Thursday at 4 p.m.
 
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