AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas State’s Aaron Lugo blasted a 2-run home run in the top of the ninth to lift the Bobcats over No. 15 Texas 11-10 Saturday at Minute Maid Park in Houston at the Astros Foundation College Classic.
Lugo drove the first pitch he saw from David Shaw into the Crawford Boxes beyond the left-field wall at the home of the Houston Astros after Daylan Pena reached on a single. Kameron Weil then pinch-ran for Pena and scored on Lugo’s line-drive homer that he hit while blowing a huge bubble with his gum.
Texas State relief pitcher Matthew Tippie worked the eighth and ninth innings to earn credit for the win. He allowed a solo home run to Texas’ Porter Brown in the eighth that gave the Longhorns a 10-9 lead, but he was tough as nails in the ninth. Tippie got Max Belyeu to ground out then struck out Casey Borba and Jack O’Dowd to end the game.
Lugo’s clutch hit helped end a seesaw battle that the Bobcats led big early on in. Texas State went up 6-0 after two innings thanks in large part to a Chase Mora grand slam in the second inning off Texas reliever Luke Harrison. Texas starting pitcher Charlie Hurley lasted just 1 2/3 innings with four runs allowed on three hits, a walk and two wild pitches. He also hit a batter.
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Trailing 8-5 going into the bottom of the seventh, it looked like the Longhorns seized momentum with a 4-run inning to take the lead. Belyeu hit an RBI triple to score Kimble Schuessler, and two Horns reached base before O’Dowd entered the game to hit for Nik Sanders. O’Dowd then crushed a 3-run home run to right field to give Texas a 9-8 lead.
Ryne Farber tied the game for the Bobcats in the eighth with an RBI single, then Brown promptly untied it with his mammoth shot. But Lugo had another big swing left in the tank that could easily land him a NIL deal with a bubble gum brand.
Texas State outhit the Longhorns 12-10 and the Bobcats hit .357 with two outs with seven RBIs and .400 with runners in scoring position.
Farber finished the game 3 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs while Mora, Pena, Lugo and Davis Powell all had two hits for the Bobcats.
Texas State is 2-0 at the College Classic with an 8-7 win in 10 innings over Houston on Friday. They’ll take on No. 3 Louisiana State on Sunday.
For the Longhorns, it’s their second loss at the event. They fell to LSU 6-3 on Friday.
Belyeu had a pair of hits while Jalin Flores hit a solo home run in the fifth. Texas ends the event Sunday against No. 9 Vanderbilt.