TXST BASEBALL
Chase Mora was 0-4 going into his at-bat in the bottom of the 10th inning as Texas State was tied with Grand Canyon at 5-5 with runners on the corners.
Despite the junior’s struggles along with the Bobcat offense during the weekend, Mora got the pitch he was looking for, a walk-off single to give the Bobcats a 6-5 win over Grand Canyon to avoid the weekend sweep. “I found the sinker down the middle,” Mora said. “I’ve been struggling [at the plate] then I finally just stayed in the middle of the field, and good things happen in “ “Winning a baseball game is a big deal to me and not giving the boys the best chance to win always drives me insane. So I have to act insane to be insane.”
– PITCHER ALEX VALENTIN
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the middle of the field. It just shows how much confidence the coaches have in me to be in that moment after going 0-4 in that inning.
“It’s a confidence boost, knowing those guys believe in me to get the job done, and I have to believe in myself to get the job done. … It feels amazing, I can’t describe how it feels. I finally feel like a ball player.”
Going into the bottom of the 10th with runners on the corners, Head Coach Steven Trout and the staff even debated whether or not to use a pinch hitter for Mora. But the staff stuck with Mora knowing when the pressure is on, the junior comes through in the clutch.
“When you think about his career, it seems whenever the big moments happen, that’s when Chase is at his best,” Trout said. “We were contemplating back and forth on what we should do with him, and he was struggling. I was trying to give him some confidence, somehow, some way, and I think the game just lined up perfectly for him at that moment.
“Once it came to that moment that he was gonna find a way to get it done. Hopefully that’s his moment that propels him to have a great junior year.”
The win over the Grand Canyon Antelopes was a cathartic victory for the Bobcats who struggled offensively in their first two games of the threegame series.
In the Bobcats 4-0 loss on Friday, not only was Texas State shut out but struck-out 18 times against the Grand Canyon pitching staff. On Saturday, the Bobcats could only muster two runs in the 9-2 loss while striking out 11 times.
On Sunday, the Bobcats belted out 11 hits, forced five walks and only struck out five times against the Antelope pitching staff.
Trout credited his players for not only making the necessary adjustments but also taking advantage of the environment.
“When you walk out and see the wind [blowing out], that gives you a lot of confidence,” Trout said. “The next piece is I thought we did a better job being on time. We still hit three or four double plays today, which is tough, but I felt our swings were more on time and a little bit more aggressive. With the lefty, [the pitch] looks a little bit different than what we’ve been seeing, but we got back to the middle of the field and got back to being on time for the heater.”
The Bobcat pitching rotation was back on the right foot after being touched up by the Grand Canyon offense on Saturday, allowing ten hits including four extra-base hits.
Sophomore pitcher Alex Valentin earned his second win of the second, throwing 6.1 innings and allowing just two hits, one earned run, two walks while striking out six batters.
The pitcher from Hollywood, Florida made national news this week following the Bobcats win over No. 1 Texas A&M, particularly for his intense and unique pitching style.
“Out of the bullpen, it [requires] just having an intensity through every single pitch,” Valentin said. “You never know when you’re gonna get pulled. It’s just going out there and giving the guys all you got for as long as you got. Winning a baseball game is a big deal to me and not giving the boys the best chance to win always drives me insane. So I have to act insane to be insane.”
After giving up a homerun in the seventh inning, Valentin knew it was time to lock in.
“I didn’t think my intensity was too spiked going into that pitch,” Valentin said. “Obviously the scoreboard said so and the swing said so as well. I just knew that I had to make some changes. I knew that I had to get the boys a chance to win.”
Despite not having the best offseason, Valentin insisted to the coaching staff that he performs better in the games rather than during the offseason.
Though he did have some doubts, Trout saw the young pitcher be able to back his words during the week.
“He didn’t have the best of fall,” Trout said. “He had a decent spring for, and he kept saying, ‘Coach. I’m telling you, I’m different when the lights come on.’ You never know that until you actually see it, and you don’t ever take them for their word as a coach. So far, since the lights came on, that guy has been a different guy.
“I think you’ll see him throw even more for us as he keeps going the way he’s going with that.
Just really proud of how he’s stepped in and got two wins on the week for us.”
Texas State goes back on the road Tuesday against Incarnate Word before going on a threegame road series against the Campbell Camels.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
Samson Pugh hit a lead-off double before touching home plate to tie the game at 5-5. Daily Record photo by Gerald Castillo
