San Marcos — Texas State junior pitcher Colton Turner won a team-high nine games last year.

Through eight innings in Saturday’s season opener, it looked as if Turner would pick up right where he left off. Turner left with a two-run lead after pitching a career high in innings, then the wheels fell of for the Bobcats.

What started as a fantastic outing by Turner turned into a disappointing loss by Texas State as its bullpen, defense and offense faded down the stretch. The Bobcats fell to Santa Clara, 5-4, in 13 innings.

Texas State committed three errors in the game — two by true freshman shortstop Garrett Mattlege — and stranded 11 men on base, including the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th with no outs.

“We had opportunity after opportunity obviously and we made two or three defensive plays that allowed a majority of their runs,” Bobcats head coach Ty Harrington said. “Overall, this was a disappointing loss since we expected a different outcome, but that’s baseball.”

Turner gave the Bobcats just about everything he could in his first start of the season.

After a rough first inning in which he allowed two unearned runs, Turner settled down to shut the Broncos down over the next six. Even though he scattered seven hits, Turner rarely gave up a well-struck ball as he mixed speeds, spotted his fastball and struck out five.

“My main focus is getting my fastball over since that is my go-to pitch,” Turner said. “I wanted to attack the zone with my fastball and then throw off-speed when I needed to.”

Harrington pulled Turner after 7 2/3 innings when the junior allowed a two-out, bases-empty single in the eighth.

“I felt really confident when I left the game, because we have a great bullpen behind us,” Turner said. “It was just one of those games where we just need to come through together as a team and when their number is called, they need to do their job.”

Harrington chose to go with junior relief pitcher Garrett Shepperd, who promptly gave up a run-scoring double. After Shepperd hit the next batter with a pitch, Harrington brought in senior stopper Jeff McVaney, who got a needed ground ball, but Mattlege threw it wide of first, allowing the tying run to score.

With the score tied at 4-all, Texas State had several opportunities to win the game, none more prevalent than in the bottom of the 11th. The Bobcats loaded the bases with no outs, yet couldn’t push the winning run across as Mattlege and Brooks Orton struck out, then senior second baseman Tyler Sibley popped out.

“We have a guy 90 feet from the plate with no outs — and you feel good about what you have going on — then you need to understand those are two freshmen that are in the middle part of that thing,” Harrington said. “We’re going to be patient with those guys and know they’re going to step up another time and come through for us.”

Two innings later, Santa Clara loaded the bases and another error by Mattlege allowed the winning run to cross the plate.

Texas State returns to the diamond Sunday afternoon for a game against Wichita State.