Texas State baseball made a furious rally as Thursday night turned to Friday morning, scoring four runs in the ninth inning to defeat Louisiana 4-3 in the Sun Belt Tournament.
Infielder Rashawn Galloway stepped up to the plate with two outs after Blake Beheler drew a bases-loaded walk to cut Texas State’s deficit to 3-2. He smoked a grounder through the gap at short, plating two runs for the walk-off win.
MORE: What Texas State baseball needs to get an NCAA Tournament at-large bid
The Bobcats didn’t score a single run until the ninth. Louisiana starting pitcher Ty Roman smothered Texas State, allowing no hits through six innings. Catcher Clayton Namken broke things up with a single in the seventh, but was caught out on the base paths to stall the momentum.
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Texas State pitcher Ryan Markwardt held Louisiana to two hits in 4 ⅔ innings, giving up an unearned run in the third frame. Cade Smith pitched four relief innings, holding the Ragin’ Cajuns to three hits and one earned run. Louisiana extended its lead in the ninth after a Texas State error allowed a run to score. Outfielder Jaquae Stewart and Namken recorded consecutive hits in the ninth. Jackson Cotton followed a Justin Vossos walk with a pinch-hit RBI single to end Texas State’s shutout.
Texas State is up to 37th in RPI and will play Saturday at 9 a.m. against the winner of the Louisiana-Coastal Carolina game. Here’s a recap of the Bobcats’ win.
Texas State catcher Rashawn Galloway (7) steps up to bat during the game against Louisiana at Bobcat Ballpark on Saturday, March. 21, 2026 in San Marcos, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
FINAL — Texas State 4, Louisiana 3
Stewart leads off the ninth with a single. Namken doubles to put runners on second and third. Tanner Carson pinch-hits for Fryman. Louisiana brings in Sawyer Pruitt for Pearson. Carson strikes out swinging, as does Mora. Jackson Cotton pinch-hits, recording an RBI single on a hot shot to the second baseman. Beheler, on a full count, draws a walk to bring the Bobcats within one run.
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Galloway up to bat. He shoots a grounder into the gap between short and third. One run scores. Cotton rounds third and makes it to the plate as well for the walk-off win.
Fryman attempts a jumping catch in the center, but he drops the ball. Boles bobbles an infield grounder to put runners on first and second. Spalitta lines out to right, and LaSalle advances to third. He scores on a groundout. Jesus Tovar relieves Smith and records a strikeout to bring up the bottom of the ninth.
Mora leads off the eighth with an infield single. Boles strikes out looking. Beheler fouls out. Galloway singles, putting runners on first and second. Salas grounds out to strand them.
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Amedee doubles the Cajuns’ lead with a solo home run. Smith gets three consecutive flyouts to end the top half of the eighth.
Namken breaks up the no-hit bid with a shallow single to right field. Fryman moves Namken to second with a sacrifice bunt. Roman heads to the bench, with Hayden Pearson taking over. Vossos bites on a breaking ball, striking out. Namken’s caught in a rundown for the third out.
Spalitta goes down swinging. Rodriguez walks, but Namken guns him down trying to steal second. Smith freezes Mandino for his third K.
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Beheler strikes out looking. Galloway flies out to center field. Salas takes a pitch to the back. Stewart pops out to first.
Markle grounds out to start the sixth. Collins flies out to right field. LaSalle singles to shallow center. Smith records his first K for the third out.
Vossos strikes out looking. Mora grounds out to short. Roman continues to roll, striking out Boles.
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Galt strikes out swinging. Markwardt fields a bunt and flips it to first for an out. Rodriguez draws another walk. He advances on a passed ball. Brown grounds a ball that Boles is unable to field cleanly, putting runners on first and third. Markwardt hits Amedee, loading the bases on his 101st pitch of the night. Cade Smith replaces him on the bump. He induces a groundout to strand the runners.
Roman sends Stewart and Namken down on groundouts before striking out Fryman.
Markwardt retires Brown on strikes, same for Markle. Collins records the first hit of the game, sending a grounder past the mound and into center field. He advances on a wild pitch. LaSalle strikes out swinging to end the top half of the frame.
Infielder Chase Mora fouls out. Boles draws a five-pitch walk. Roman hits outfielder Blake Beheler in the leg, putting runners on first and second. Galloway flies out to right field. Salas strikes out for the second time, stranding the Bobcats.
Infielder Owen Galt draws a full-count walk. Markwardt falls behind the count before striking out Steven Spalitta. Infielder Brady Boles fumbles an easy grounder, putting runners on the corners. Galt scores on a safety squeeze. Amedee grounds out to first base.
Catcher Clayton Namken and outfielder Bennett Fryman are retired on consecutive ground outs. Infielder Justin Vossos takes strike three looking for Roman’s third K of the game.
Markwardt gets his second K of the game on Louisiana infielder Drew Markle. Collins grounds out to second. Outfielder Donovan LaSalle is Markwardt’s third strikeout, leading to the bottom of the frame.
Louisiana outfielder Mark Collins steals a hit away from Texas State leadoff Rashawn Galloway, making a leaping grab at the wall. Louisiana pitcher Ty Roman records his first strikeout, as Manny Salas goes down swinging. Outfielder Jaquae Stewart strikes out looking, ending the first inning.
Texas State starting pitcher Ryan Markwardt starts things by walking lead-off batter Blaze Rodriguez. Louisiana outfielder Maddox Mandino lays down a sacrifice bunt, advancing Rodriguez to second base. Markwardt blows a fastball past infielder Lee Amedee for a strikeout. Catcher Colt Brown flies out to center field.
RF Rashawn Galloway
2. DH Manny Salas
3. 1B Jaquae Stewart
4. C Clayton Namken
5. CF Bennett Fryman
6. 2B Justin Vossos
7. 3B Chase Mora
8. SS Brady Boles
9. LF Blake Beheler
SP. Ryan Markwardt
SS Blaze Rodriguez
2. CF Maddox Mandino
3. 1B Lee Amedee
4. C Colt Brown
5. 3B Drew Markle
6. LF Mark Collins
7. RF Donovan LaSalle
8. 2B Owen Galt
9. DH Steven Spalitta
SP. Ty Roman
Time: 9:21 p.m. CT
Location: Dabos Stadium in Montgomery, Ala.
TV Channel/Streaming: ESPN +