Bobcats sweep Georgia State for critical win

An 8th inning rally was just enough as Texas State put away Georgia State 7-5 to complete the three game sweep over the Panthers.

With the sweep, Texas State is now firmly in third place in the Sun Belt Conference Standings while being only two games out of first place.

“It was incredibly big,” Texas State pitcher Jack Stroud said. “That was a big one for us and now we are 4-0 on the week. That sweep was a big part of it.” As the Bobcats and the Head Coach Steven Trout close out the regular season, the victories continue to be imperative as Texas State looks to make a case to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

“You just got to find a win at this time of year,” Trout said. “I thought we played well. We had three errors in the game I thought were some tough plays that we should make but we played good baseball all week long.”

Trout also complimented his team for their ability to come through in the moment in intense situations.

“They are clutch players,” Trout said. “They work hard but that’s when competitors show up. It’s easy to compete when the game is not on the line but when those big moments happen our guys tend to want that moment. So we work at it, embrace it, and most importantly when the pressure happens it’s a privilege to be in that spot. They want it and they are getting the job done right now.”

That ability was showcased in the eighth inning as Georgia State tied the game up at 5-5 following a leadoff home run.

Following a one out single, Stroud came into relief for Triston Dixon with a game winning run on first. “I was just trying to get out,” Stroud said. “My big thing was trying to get on out with moving the runners over. If I can focus on getting one out, then I can get out of the jam and keep this thing moving. I knew we could score and win that ballgame.”

Despite allowing a walk, Stroud forced batters to fly out as the Bobcats kept the game tied up.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, outfielder Cade Manning kicked things off with a leadoff triple down the right field line as the leading run was now 90 feet away from home plate.

Texas State then capitalized on a Georgia State fielding error as the Panther shortstop overthrew the catcher at home to allow Manning to score and batter Ben McClain to move to second as the Bobcats retook the lead at 6-5.

Despite shortstop Davis Powell recording the first out of the inning, the junior’s flyout was enough to move McClain to third base.

First baseman Daylan Pena brought McClain home on a two out double as Texas State extended their lead to 7-5.

“That was huge,” Stroud said. “That is the biggest part of it. If we don’t score that run there, we go into extras but the hitters battled on it and gave us that run which is all we needed.”

With a two run advantage, Stroud tossed a perfect 1-2-3 inning to seal the win and the sweep for Texas State.

Texas State returns to play this weekend as the Bobcats square off with the rival Louisiana Ragin Caguns in a pivotal conference series.

First pitch is Friday at 6 p.m. from M. L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park in Lafayette Louisiana.

coltonbmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc