Bobcats earn series win over Wolverines in weekend opener

Texas State Baseball earned a series win over Utah Valley during the maroon and gold’s opening weekend, taking three wins and suffering one loss inside Bobcat Ballpark.

After the hosts beat the Wolverines on Friday, 5-3, the teams split a doubleheader on Saturday — Texas State taking the first game and Utah Valley winning the second.

All but one of the Bobcats’ starters collected a hit during the opening game as the hosts raced to an 11-4 lead by the end of the fourth inning, with redshirt sophomore catcher August Ramirez hitting a home run in his debut with the team. Freshman pinch hitter put the game away with a two-RBI double in the bottom of the eighth to run-rule the Wolverines, 14-4.

Texas State couldn’t keep the offense going in the second game, though. Utah Valley scored four runs in the top of the eighth to take a 5-1 lead. Junior left fielder Jose Gonzalez brought senior outfielder Ben McClain across home plate with an RBI single in the bottom of the frame and senior shortstop Dalton Shuffield led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run to left centerfield. But the hosts couldn’t bring in any more runs, suffering their first loss of the season, 5-3.

The team rebounded on Sunday with another run-rule victory. The Bobcats swung for a combined 15-37 at the plate, with freshman first baseman Daylan Pena, senior second baseman Cameron Gibbons and senior outfielder Isaiah Ortega-Jones hitting for 3 RBIs each. All three of Ortega-Jones’ RBIs came from a home run in the bottom of the eighth inning that clinched a run-rule win for the team, 14-2. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Tony Robie picked up the win as the starter, giving up five hits, two walks and two runs while striking out for in 5.0 innings of work.

Texas State (3-1) will head to Globe Life Field in Arlington on Wednesday to match up with Wichita State (0-3) at 6:30 p.m.