Texas State holds off Little Rock in series opener, 3-2

Steven Trout wasn’t sure what he was going to do on his way out to the mound.

Despite 23 mph winds blowing in from the southeast — optimal conditions for a hitter inside Bobcat Ballpark — Texas State junior starting pitcher Zeke Wood was playing one of the best games of his life. He didn’t surrender a hit through the first six innings of Friday night’s home game against Little Rock. He hadn’t surrendered a hit through the first two outs of the seventh inning of the contest, either.

But after Wood gave up a double, putting the tying run in scoring position, the maroon and gold’s head coach had a decision to make. 

“Really and truly, we were just paying attention to (Wood's) fastball command,” Trout said. “He started kind of yanking some balls and missing spots. He was only at (87) pitches, which he's built up to do that. But really and truly, the guy that was coming up had barrelled (Wood) up twice, he hit a line drive to the shortstop and then smoked a ball to center.”

Trout played it safe, bringing out junior right-handed reliever Triston Dixon. It played into the team’s favor in the end as No. 17 Texas State held the Trojans off for a 3-2 win.

“You know, we liked the matchup with Dixon,” Trout said. “And it's just one of those gut moves that really worked out. And so I'm glad it did because Zeke really deserved that win.”

Senior shortstop Dalton Shuffield broke through early in the first, getting the ball to drop one inch inside the right field line for a triple — the 11th of Shuffield’s career, tying the program record. Junior designated hitter Jose Gonzalez brought him home with a sacrifice fly to left field in the next at-bat, establishing a 1-0 edge.

B1 @smdrsports

Dalton Shuffield (@Dalton_Eugene8) with the 11th triple of his career. Jose Gonzalez uses a sac fly in the next at-bat for the first run of the game pic.twitter.com/OKtylT67mk

— Drew King (@drewking0222) April 22, 2022

Neither team scored throughout the next five innings. No Little Rock runner reached second base through the first six innings with Wood on the mound.

But as Wood began to approach 80 pitches thrown in the seventh inning, he also started to run out of steam. He walked the first batter he saw on a full count. The next batter swung at the first pitch he saw but grounded into a double play, clearing the bases. The Trojans ended the no-hitter attempt in the next at-bat, bouncing a double off the left centerfield wall.

Trout chose to pull Wood off the mound in favor of Dixon. Wood finished the evening allowing one hit, three walks and no runs while striking out three.

“I was just trying to command pitches and execute,” Wood said. “And I knew it was gonna be a tough day to pitch with the wind. But I just had to bear down and just try to get outs.”

“I tried to stay in there. You know, I'd got the kid out and I knew I could do it. But Trouty went to, you know, just a decision that it was a better matchup and you know, I agree. I didn't want to come out of that situation but it worked out. Dixon did what he does.”

Dixon forced a groundout to retire the side. Senior second baseman Cameron Gibbons led off with a base hit up the middle in the bottom frame and senior centerfielder Isaiah Ortega-Jones laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him to second. Senior left fielder Ben McClain sent a sac fly to left center, allowing Gibbons to tag up. But the throw to third hit Gibbons in the back as he was sliding in, allowing him time to turn the corner and cross the plate for the second score of the game.

B8 @smdrsports

An RBI single to right field from Peyton Lewis (@peytonlewis7) plates Justin Thompson and puts runners on the corners with two outs for #TXST pic.twitter.com/6TdF11Y7aZ

— Drew King (@drewking0222) April 23, 2022

The visitors scored their first run of the game in the top of the eighth, but the hosts added an insurance run in the bottom frame on an RBI single from junior catcher Peyton Lewis to stay in front of Little Rock by two, 3-1.

Trout called upon senior closer Tristan Stivors to finish the job. Stivors, who’d earned a save earlier in the week against UTSA on Tuesday, got off to a rough start in his relief appearance, surrendering a solo home run to the first batter he saw and walking the next to put the game-tying run on base.

It didn’t rattle him much, though, as Stivors fanned the final three batters he faced for his ninth save of the season and second of the week, giving Texas State the 3-2 victory.

FINAL @smdrsports #LR 2#TXST 3

Tristan Stivors (@tstivors_13) strikes out the final three batters he sees for his ninth save of the year pic.twitter.com/qTW9YLno1P

— Drew King (@drewking0222) April 23, 2022

“(Stivors) just started locating, you know, and that's the key with him,” Trout said. “He's got really good stuff but when you don't locate, guys can hit it, especially with a night like tonight. So he started getting his breaking ball going. Even when he worked behind, he got back in the count and started making really quality pitches and executing. So when he gets both of those breaking balls going, it's pretty tough to get on him.”

Shuffield and Gibbons each went 2-4 at the plate on the night. Wood received the win, improving to 4-1 on the year.

The Bobcats (30-9, 13-3 Sun Belt), now on a seven-game winning streak, will continue their series against the Trojans (16-17, 6-9) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The teams will conclude the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.