Bobcats walk-off No.21 Troy to win final home game of the year

Texas State celebrates the home run against Troy. Bobcats won their final home of the year beating No. 21 Troy 8-6. Daily Record photo by Gerald Castillo

Texas State ended their final home game of the year on a high note, beating the No. 21 Troy Trojans 8-6 in extra innings on a walkoff two-run home run by second baseman Chase Mora.

The Bobcats take the conference series of the Trojans and improve their overall record to 26-26 while their conference record improves to 12-15, moving the Bobcats into a tie for 10th place.

“We had to stay in the present moment,” Mora said. “Right now we are starting to finally click as an offense. Alec Patino had a big weekend, Davis Powell had a big day and the new guys are starting to get going. As long as we keep going and everyone gets hot, it is going to be a fun last week of the season.”

Troy took the early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning only for the Bobcats to have an answer.

First baseman Alec Patino hit an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1 before right fielder Cade Manning hit the sacrifice fly, allowing the Bobcats to take the lead.

Patino struck again later in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two runners on base, Patino crushed a three-run homer into left, extending the lead to 5-1.

“It was a fast ball down and away,” Patino said. “I wasn’t expecting that pitch but I knew if I saw something over the plate, I was going to swing.”

But the Trojans were not going to go down quietly. After scoring a fielder’s choice, Troy hit a two-run homer to cut the lead down 5-4.

The Trojans then tied in the game in the top of the sixth inning with a RBI single up the middle.

After scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth, the game came down to the ninth inning.

With a runner on second, Troy capitalized on Bobcat wild pitch allowing the runner to score and take a 7-6 lead.

Going into their potential final at-bat of the game, the Bobcats were determined to not let that wild pitch ruin their conference series.

“We are not out,” Mora said on the message in the dugout. “We are still here and they have to get us out three times. They were not going to do that. It was not happening. That was the mentality we entered with and it paid off.”

Pinch hitter Rashawn Galloway forced a one-walk before being pinch run by freshman Samson Pugh. After a mound visit, center fielder Kameron Weil also forced the walk to put runners on first and second with one out.

In the next at-bat, Mora connected with a single into left field as Pugh raced to home. Troy was unable to make the throw, allowing Pugh to slide into home safely and tie the game.

The Trojans got out of the inning but the game went into extra innings.

“Going into the [at-bat], [the coaches] said he was going to attack me the same way he did last night,” Mora said. “I went and looked for something off speed early, then after two strikes I adjusted. I got the hanging cutter and was able to hit it into left field. Obviously having Samson being in that moment and having that underneath his belt moving forward is huge.”

After a scoreless 10th inning, Texas State looked to end the game and win the series.

Pinch hitter Alex Gonzales got the first hit of the inning with a single up the middle to represent the game winning run. After a sac bunt by Weil, Gonzales moved to second to bring up Mora.

Needing just one pitch, Mora brought home the win with a bomb over the left field fence and into the softball stadium.

“I was talking to [the coaches] asking if he was going to attack the same,” Mora said. “They said yes and told me to sit there on the cutter again. Sure enough I saw the first pitch and hit it into the softball field.”

The conference series win has the Bobcats out of the danger zone of missing the conference tournament in a tie for tenth place.

With the final conference series of the year, Texas State will look to add another series win.

“Just carrying the momentum,” Mora said. “We have been getting hot and as long as we keep going, [we will be good]. We keep saying don’t let us into that conference tournament. If we get in, we are going to win it.”

Texas State will be on the road Tuesday against former conference rival McNeese State.