Bobcats defeated by Connecticut in first game of home series

Texas State dropped its series opener against Connecticut, 8-4, on Friday inside Bobcat Ballpark. 

Junior right-hander Nicholas Fraze surrendered the loss after allowing eight runs on nine hits and three walks in 4.2 innings of work. UConn redshirt freshman lefty earned the win after throwing 1.1 scoreless innings in relief. 

The Huskies (6-5) struck early in Friday’s contest after freshman second baseman Christian Fedko hit an RBI double in the top of the first inning to give UConn a 1-0 lead.

The Bobcats (9-5) answered in the third inning. Senior catcher Felipe Rodriguez and junior second baseman Jaxon Williams hit back-to-back single to begin the bottom of third. Senior third baseman Jaylen Hubbard hit a bases-clearing RBI triple to give Texas State a 2-1 lead. 

Redshirt junior left fielder Will Hollis scored Hubbard with an RBI double to put the Bobcats up 3-1. 

UConn responded with three runs in the fourth to regain the lead at 4-3. The Huskies exploded for four runs in the fifth inning to seize control of the game at 8-3. 

Texas State cut UConn’s lead to 8-4 in the sixth inning when a balk allowed the Bobcats to bring home a run. 

But the Huskies prevented Texas State from cutting anymore out of the deficit and secured the 8-4 win. 

Hubbard led the Bobcats with a 2-for-4 effort with two RBIs a double and a triple. Hollis tallied one RBI. Williams crossed the plate twice. 

Senior lefty Brandon Lewis pitched a season-high 4.1 innings in relief. He struck out four, only gave up two hits and didn’t give up a run. 

The Bobcats and Huskies continued the three-game series on Saturday. The game ended after press time.