A wild and chaotic night ended with Texas State falling to the No. 1 ranked Texas Longhorns 14-11 after a four and half hour game and the third largest crowd to attend a game at Bobcat Ballpark.
The loss drops Texas State’s overall record to 19-21.
“Just a very highly competitive game,” Head Coach Steven Trout said. “We had the lead going to the ninth against the No.1 team in the country, and they showed why they're number one. But really proud of the guys who competed; We competed all night long, but we just didn't execute.
“We left a lot of runs there, a lot of pitches left up there and didn't play the greatest of defense. At the end of the day, you had a chance to win the baseball game and just didn't make enough plays to get it done.”
The Bobcats struck first in the first inning. Facing two outs, junior first baseman Coy DeFury crushed a 423-ft bomb over the wall in right field to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
In the second inning, Texas State found another run. Again facing two outs, freshman Zachary Gingrich crushed another Bobcat homer, smashing the ball over the wall in right field and extending the lead to 2-0.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Bobcats added on to their lead. DeFury struck again, hitting another solo home run over the wall in right field. Later in the at-bat, sophomore Samson Pugh hit an RBI single into left field, extending the lead to 4-0.
The Longhorns got their first runs of the game in the top of the fifth inning. Texas scored on a RBI double down the left field line before scoring again on a bloop single, cutting the Texas State lead down 4-2.
After loading up the bases in the top of the fifth, the Longhorns tied the game up at 4-4 following a two-run RBI single. The Bobcats got the final out as Gingrich made the throw to Dawson Park at second when the Longhorn batter tried to stretch the single into a double, making the tag for the final out.
However, the Bobcats took the lead back in the same inning. After reaching base on an infield single, Junior third baseman Chase Mora scored on a passed ball, giving the lead back to the Bobcats at 5-4.
Mora later did more damage in the bottom of the sixth inning. Facing bases loaded, Mora connected with a grand slam over the wall in left-center field, extending the Bobcat lead to 9-4.
In the top of the seventh, the Longhorns answered back. After scoring on a RBI single, the Longhorns hit a three-run home run, cutting the Bobcat lead down to 9-8.
Texas State added on to their lead in the bottom of the seventh. Gingrich connected with an RBI double in right field, extending the lead to 10-8.
Later in the at-bat with the bases loaded, Ryne Farber scored a run on the bases loaded hit by pitch.
Texas answered back in the top of the eighth inning. With a runner on first, the Longhorns connected with a two-run home run, making it a 11-10 game.
The Longhorns loaded up the bases, but a flyout caught by Gingrich in left field ended the Texas at-bat to strand all three runners.
Texas later took the lead in the top of the ninth inning. With the bases loaded, the Longhorns hit a grand slam, taking their first lead of the game at 14-11.
The Bobcats tried to make their comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning but struck out three times in a row, sealing their defeat.
Texas State will be on the road this weekend for a conference series showdown with the No. 23 ranked Troy Trojans. Troy is coming off a conference series win over the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks and a 12-10 win over Alabama State on Tuesday.
First pitch for Game 1 is set for 6 p.m. Friday in Troy.
