COLLEGE STATION — Texas State baseball traded blows with USC on Friday night in the College Station Regional, eventually prevailing 5-4 thanks to Chase Mora’s go-ahead two-run home run in the ninth inning.

Trojans infielder Adrien Lopez had given his team a 4-3 lead in the eighth with a solo blast over the right-field wall. USC infielder Dean Carpentier lined a ball to third in the ninth with two outs, which looked like it could’ve been extra bases. But Mora made a diving snag to seal the win.

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Texas State pitcher Ryan Markwardt struggled with his command, walking three and giving up two runs on three hits through six innings. Both runs were unearned, thanks to errors by infielders Brady Boles and Chase Mora. 

The Trojans took a 2-1 lead in the third, which Abbrie Covarrubias extended to 3-1 in the fourth on a solo home run. But Boles, who moved to second base after his third error in the past four games, hammered a two-run shot to left in the fifth, tying the game at three. USC starter Grant Govel went 5⅔ innings, giving up three runs on four hits.

USC stranded 11 runners as Texas State fought to keep its head above water. Rashawn Galloway saved a potential run-scoring hit in the seventh on a spectacular catch in which he collided hard with the right field wall. The Bobcats brought in their best pitcher, Wade Cooper, at the bottom of the frame. 

Here’s a recap of the action.

FINAL — Texas State 5, USC 4

Cooper retires Basseer on strikes. He walks Cadena. Andrew Lamb pinch-hits for Martinez. Cooper gets him to fly out to center. Mora makes a diving grab at third base to seal the win.

Vossos reaches first on a fielding error by the third baseman. Pinch-hitter Samson Pugh advances him with a sacrifice bunt. USC brings in right-hander Adam Troy. Mora capitalizes immediately, smashing a two-run home run over the scoreboard in right field. Two flyouts bring up the bottom of the ninth.

Urbon pops out. Covarrubias strikes out chasing Cooper’s breaking ball in the dirt. He hits the next batter with a pitch. He strikes out the following Trojan to bring up the ninth. 

Right-handed reliever Andrew Johnson sends the heart of Texas State’s lineup down in order. 

Texas State brings in right-hander Wade Cooper for the seventh. He kicks things off with a K. Vossos saves an extra base hit at short, but Cadena reaches first. Cooper gets Martinez out on strikes, and Carpentier grounds out to short.

Mora leads off the seventh with a single. He’s caught trying to steal second. Fryman battles Matson for 11 pitches. The umpire rings him up on pitch 12. Boles hits a single. Galloway grounds out to end the frame.

Covarrubias hits a leadoff double. He takes third on a sacrifice bunt. Dylan Kerbow relieves Smith. He strikes out Augie Lopez. Galloway makes a spectacular catch sprinting into the wall, ending the inning.

Stewart takes a four-pitch walk. Vossos grounds into a fielder’s choice, and Stewart reaches second. Right-hander Sax Matson replaces Govel. Blake Beheler pinch-hits for Cotton. He flies out to center.

Right-handed pitcher Cade Smith takes the mound for the fifth. He hits the first batter he faces with a pitch. Cadena singles through the left field gap. Trojans advance to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. Smith hits another batter to load the bases. A smooth pickoff play gets the second-base runner. A fly-out strands the rest.

Cotton draws a leadoff walk. Mora fouls out. Fryman goes down on strikes. Boles takes a ball high, deep up the left field line that stays fair for a game-tying two-run home run. Galloway singles into left, and Salas strikes out. 

Right-hander Alec Beversdorf comes in for Markwardt. He begins his outing with a strikeout. Beversdorf sits Urbon down on strikes, as well. Covarrubias blasts a home run to left field, pushing the Trojans’ lead to 3-1. USC racks up two consecutive singles, but a foulout ends the inning.

Namken flies out to the right field warning track. Govel gets Stewart to strike out on a nasty breaking ball. A groundout makes it a 1-2-3 inning.

Markwardt begins the third with a K. Mora makes an error at third, and Augie Lopez takes first. Takeuchi just misses out on a home run, settling for a double that puts runners on second and third. Basseer singles through the left field gap, giving the Trojans the lead. He takes second on a wild pitch. Markwardt retires Cadena on strikes. Fryman makes a running catch in centerfield to save an extra base hit. 

Boles is caught looking for Govel’s third K of the evening. Galloway grounds out, as does Salas. 

Catcher Isaac Cadena draws the third walk of the game. Markwardt gets his first K on infielder Maximo Martinez. Infielder Dean Carpentier singles into left field, putting Trojans on first and second. The pitcher sends outfielder Walter Urbon down on strikes. Brady Boles juggles a routine grounder, and Stewart can’t handle a short throw, allowing a run to score. Stewart tries to get the runner at second, but an unprepared Vossos lets it pass. 

The center fielder throws the Trojan out at third, who was trying to stretch the error into more.

Stewart starts the second with a standup double that bounces off the centerfield wall. Infielder Justin Vossos pops up high into right field. The Trojan outfielders, confused and perhaps blinded, allow the ball to drop in between them for a double. Outfielder Jackson Cotton strikes out swinging. Mora works a full count. Mora gets Stewart home on a sacrifice fly to right field. Outfielder Bennett Fryman grounds out, limiting the damage.

Texas State right-hander Ryan Markwardt walks USC leadoff Abbrie Covarrubias. Infielder Adrian Lopez grounds into a fielder’s choice; Covarrubias runs to second. Markwardt walks Augie Lopez, his second of the inning. Kevin Takeuchi grounds into another fielder’s choice, and the runners move to second and third. A grounder bounces off third baseman Chase Mora’s glove, but he recovers to get Jack Basseer at first just in time.

Texas State leadoff Rashawn Galloway lines out to center. Manny Salas hits a grounder into the shift at first for an out. Catcher Clayton Namken goes down swinging for a quick inning of work from USC right-hander Grant Govel.