SAN MARCOS, Texas (3/31/23) – Texas State pushed across two runs on back-to-back base hits in the bottom of the 10th inning to edge the Arkansas State baseball team 8-7 Friday night at Bobcat Ballpark.
A-State (8-15, 0-5 SBC) belted a season-high three home runs and held a 7-6 lead entering the bottom of the 10th inning, but the Bobcats (18-8, 4-3) strung together three hits and a walk in the frame to take the first game of three-game series.
Wil French reached base in all six of his plate appearances, drawing four walks to go along with two hits and two runs scored. Blake Burris homered in the first and drove in three runs, the final run coming in the top of the 10th on a squeeze play that scored Brayden Caskey.
Brandon Hager and Kody Darcy also went deep early in the contest, with Hager driving in two RBIs.
The Red Wolves touched Texas State starter Levi Wells for three runs in the first on Burris' two-run blast and a two-out solo shot by Darcy, but Texas State responded with four runs in its half on a three-run homer by Jose Gonzalez and an RBI fielder's choice by Chase Mora.
Hager moved the Scarlet and Black back in front, depositing a 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence to make it 5-4. The Bobcats knotted it at 5-all in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Ben McClain, who went 3-for-4 and also drove in the game-winning run in the 10th.
Wells exited after back-to-back base runners reached to open the fifth, allowing five runs on four hits in four innings. Reliever Nathan Medrano retired the next three batters en route to 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Max Charlton relieved starter Hunter Draper, who worked four innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits. He tossed two-thirds of an inning before handing off to Michael Finan, who stranded a pair of runners to keep the hosts off the board in the fifth. The Omaha, Neb., native pitched 1 1/3 shutout innings.
A-State reclaimed a 6-5 lead on an RBI single by French, giving Arlon Butts a chance at his second win in as many appearances. The right-hander from Cadiz, Ky., pitched 3.0 innings, allowing just one run on one hit.
Texas State then tied it up in the ninth when McClain touched home on a wild pitch, forcing extra innings.
Hunter Thomas led off the 10th with a double before Caskey entered as a pinch runner and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. After the Bobcats issued an intentional walk to French, Burris executed a squeeze play with Caskey beating the tag for the go-ahead run.
Mora led off the bottom of the 10th with a double off Aaron Evers (0-2), then advanced to second on a groundout. Kameron Weil singled home Mora for the tying run, and then McClain ripped a single up the middle to plate Ryan Leary from second to end the contest.
NEXT UP
A-State looks to even the series against the Bobcats Saturday, with first pitch slated for 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+. The radio broadcast can be heard on The Ticket Radio Network stations 95.3, 96.9 and 970 AM in Jonesboro, as well as online at 953theticket.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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