SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Utah Valley University baseball team found itself on the wrong end of a 14-2 contest to Texas State in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Bobcat Ballpark.
 
With the loss, UVU finishes the season-opening series with a 1-3 record while TXST claims the non-conference series and improves to 3-1 on the season with the victory.

"We got off to a decent start today then the wheels fell off against a good Texas State team. We learned a lot this weekend and had some bright spots," head UVU coach Eddie Smith said. "We will get back to work Tuesday with a focus on a higher level of execution in our fundamental endurance."

With Texas State holding to an early 2-0 advantage, the Wolverines struck back with two runs of their own in the top of the second inning to tie the game at 2-2. Kayler Yates started the rally with a leadoff walk and Mitch Moralez promptly followed with a double off the centerfield wall to put two runners in scoring position. Yates then came in from third to score the first run of the game on a wild pitch, and Moralez followed by scoring on an RBI groundout to the right side off the bat of Copper Hansen.
 
The Bobcats then regained the lead in the third with three runs all coming with two away in the frame to take a 5-2 advantage. Justin Thompson had an RBI double in the inning and Cameron Gibbons later followed with a two-run single through the left side to give TXST the three-run cushion.
 
With two outs and a runner aboard for Texas State in the sixth, Dalton Shuffield hit out a two-run home run to left to extend Texas State's lead to 7-2. The Bobcats later tacked on seven more in the eighth to put the game away via the run-rule. Isaiah Ortega-Jones delivered the big blow for TXST in the eighth with a run-rule walkoff three-run home run to left.
 
TXST starter Tonie Robbie (1-0) was credited with the win after giving up just two runs on five hits while striking out four over 5.0 innings of work. The Bobcat bullpen also pitched well in the contest, as they didn't allow a hit over the final four innings. UVU starter Cole Yocum was tagged with the loss to dop to 0-1 on the season. A total of six pitchers appeared on the mound in the game for the Wolverines and Northern Colorado transfer Coop Rust led the way by tossing a pair of scoreless innings of relief, while Houston transfer Josh Brown also pitched a scoreless frame on the afternoon for UVU.
 
Trey Cutchen led Utah Valley offensively in the ballgame by going 2-for-4, while Yates went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. Moralez also posted a 1-for-3 outing with a double and a run scored, while Garrett Broussard too collected a hit, and Hansen picked up UVU's lone RBI on the day. John Wuthrich and Shuffield each went 3-for-4 on the day for Texas State and combined to score five runs. 
 
UVU picked up its win on the weekend in the nightcap of the doubleheader on Saturday by a score of 5-3. In that contest, starter Mason Gray looked strong on the mound as he tossed 5.0 innings of shutout baseball in which he allowed just one hit and four total baserunners to reach base off of him. The UVU bullpen also did a nice job as Andrew Hauck and Nick Sims combined to give up just three runs over the final four innings en route to helping the Wolverines pull out the victory. Saturday's victory marked Coach Smith's first win at the NCAA Division I level. 
 
The Wolverines will now return to Orem and are scheduled to host in-state and Pac-12 foe Utah for their 2022 home opener on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at UCCU Ballpark at 4:05 p.m. Following Tuesday's contest, UVU will head to the Bay Area next weekend, Feb. 25-27, for a four-game non-conference series at San Francisco.