The Horns dropped a fourth straight home game to the Bobcats with the second midweek loss of the season.
The No. 5 Texas Longhorns suffered another midweek setback ahead of a big home SEC series on Tuesday, giving up four runs in a decisive eighth inning of a 5-3 loss to the Texas State Bobcats at UFCU Disch Falk Field, ultimately watching a comeback attempt fall short with the bases loaded in the ninth inning when senior first baseman Kimble Schuessler laced a line drive at the Texas State second baseman.
It was the fourth straight home loss to the Bobcats, who have now won five of the last seven games in the series.
Texas sophomore left-hander Kade Bing turned in a solid if uneven performance in his second midweek start, going 6.1 innings without allowing a hit. Texas State did manage to score a run in the third inning when Bing’s command faltered — the leadoff batter drew a walk, advanced to second base on a wild pitch, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a sacrifice fly.
After Longhorns sophomore center fielder Will Gasparino hit his sixth home run in the last five games, a solo shot to left center in the fourth inning, Texas went up 2-1 in the seventh inning when freshman Cole Chamberlain scored on a back. The Horns weren’t able to come up with a game-changing hit, however, as sophomore second baseman Ethan Mendoza grounded out, junior shortstop Jalin Flores struck out, and Gasparino went down swinging, too, after a walk drawn by junior catcher Rylan Galvan loaded the bases.
The Bobcats took advantage of some shaky defense by the home team in the eighth inning against freshman right-hander Jason Flores. The inning started with Flores striking out the first two batters, but a two-out double, the first hit of the game for the visitors, started the Texas State rally before Gasparino was credited with an error when he was unable to come up with a catch against the wall in center field on a deep drive that scored a run. An infield single to third base drove in the second run of the inning and a subsequent home run gave the Bobcats a 5-1 lead.
After Texas went down in order in the eighth inning, the ninth looked more promising when sophomore right fielder Tommy Farmer drew a leadoff walk and junior left fielder Jayden Duplantier drove him in with a double to left center, his first extra-base hit of the season and fourth of his career. Mendoza struck out on a high fastball out of the zone on a full count, but Flores came up with a single and Galvan loaded the bases on a full-count walk.
The rally attempt fizzed, though, when Gasparino popped out weakly to short right field on an 0-1 pitch and Schuessler had some bad luck when his hard-hit line drive was caught to end the game.
Texas hosts No. 3 Georgia this weekend at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.