SAN MARCOS, Texas – Holding off a Texas State University rally in the ninth inning, Lamar University took down the Bobcats on the road, 3-1, on Friday night. The Cardinals (3-2) scored in the first and ninth inning to take the decision over Texas State (3-3).
 
"Trevin, Marcus, and Jack were phenomenal, driving the tone for us against a line that scored 380 runs last year and is one of the best in the country," said head coach Will Davis. "Marcus just persevered the last two years and it's great to see him go out there and do what he did. There's nobody I'd rather have out there at the end of the game than Jack Dallas. He's never afraid."

Trevin Michael got the start and had another remarkable outing, going six innings with six strikeouts. He allowed just four baserunners through the first six innings, facing the minimum in the second, fourth, and fifth. The Cards bent but didn't break in the third when a lead-off single reached second on a no-out walk and both Bobcats advanced on a sac bunt. Michael struck out the next batter and got a grounder to first to keep Texas State off the board. Marcus Olivarez relieved Michael to start the seventh, and the junior from Columbia, Texas, sat down six straight Bobcats before a walk and a single ended his night in the ninth. Jack Dallas earned his first save of 2020.
 
Lamar struck early, pushing two runs across in the first inning. Avery George led off with a single and reached second on a balk, and then the fleet-footed junior came home when Cole Girouard reached second on an error. Another error put Girouard on third, and a sac fly from Reese Durand brought Girouard home. A grounder to short and a grounder to first ended the top half of the inning, and Michael stranded a two-out double at second with the first of his six strikeouts.
 
The Cardinals went down in order in the second, third, and fifth innings, and left Anthony Quirion and Chase Kemp stranded in the fourth after a hit and walk, respectively. Girouard drew a walk to open the sixth but was picked off, and two strikeouts ended the inning. Chase Kemp drew a walk in the seventh and was stranded, and in the eighth Texas State put a new pitcher on the mound.
 
A lead-off walk of Rhett McCall and a single by Avery George put two runners on with no outs, and Girouard sac bunted both over a base. An intentional walk of Durand loaded the bases with just one out, but luck didn't break LU's way. JC Correa popped up into an infield fly that froze the runners, and Chase Kemp popped up to second. After Olivarez sat the Bobcats down in order again, Lamar led Texas State 2-0 through eight innings.
 
With one out Logan Berlof drew an 11-pitch walk and was pinch ran for by Drew Ardoin. Ardoin stole second and reached third on an error during Kelby Weyler's at-bat, and Weyler grounded out to third to bring Ardoin home. A strikeout sent LU to the bottom of the ninth up 3-0.
 
A lead-off walk and a single to left put a Bobcat in scoring position for the first time since the third, and a wild pitch from Dallas put both runners in scoring position. A 4-3 grounder scored one run, and a walk with two outs put the winning run at the plate. On a 3-2 count Dallas threw one right down the middle, striking out the Texas State batter looking. Lamar won 3-1.

"This was a total team win," said Davis. "I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Cole Girouard's unbelievable defense tonight, taking runs off the board the way he did, and Rhett McCall was phenomenal behind the plate. Reese Druand came up big and puts a ball in play and gets a sac fly to get that second run, Kelby did just enough and puts the ball in play, and we're able to score on the contact play by Drew Ardoin. It was a total team effort."
 
First pitch for Game 2 of the Lamar-Texas State series is set for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Zach Bravo (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will face Trevis Sundgren (1-0, 0.00 ERA).