The No. 2 Texas Longhorns scored six runs in a decisive sixth inning and held on to secure their first Tuesday win in three weeks with a 10-8 victory over the Texas State Bobcats at UFCU Disch-Falk Field that ended a four-game home losing streak to the Bobcats.
Junior infielder Ethan Mendoza added an insurance run on a solo shot in the eighth to finish 3-for-4 with a walk, three RBI, and three runs on two doubles and the homer, his sixth of the season.
On the mound, Texas did enough to secure the victory as senior right-hander Max Grubbs earned his first start for the Longhorns since 2024 and was punished for leaving fastballs up in the zone, allowing three runs on five hits in the first inning as Texas fell behind quickly.
Five more pitchers made appearances, including some length provided by junior left-hander Kade Bing, who had his longest outing of the year in striking out two and allowing one run on one hit, a solo home run in the fourth, in three innings of work.
Down 5-3 entering the bottom of the sixth, Texas created some separation with a huge inning started with a massive solo home run by junior Casey Borba, who started the game at third base before moving to first.
The 10th blast of the season by Borba traveled 443 feet at 105 miles per hour off his barrel.
After two full-count walks, the Horns mounted a two-out rally by attacking early in counts, starting with a first-pitch double to right center by Mendoza to drive in two runs.
Junior catcher Carson Tinney followed with a 1-0 single to right field and freshman outfielder Anthony Pack Jr. drove in two more runs on a single to center with the second unearned because of a throwing error by Texas State.
The Bobcats responded in the seventh as the Longhorns bullpen appeared on the verge of another meltdown when redshirt junior left-hander Ethan Walker gave up three straight one-out doubles, forcing head coach Jim Schlossnagle to turn to freshman right-hander Brett Crossland to limit the damage.
A passed ball allowed an unearned run to score on a groundout before Crossland ended the inning on an unassisted grounder to first base.
Crossland struck out two batters in the eighth to get the ball to freshman right-hander Sam Cozart, who earned his second save with a perfect ninth.
Texas had worked back from the early deficit with a two-run home run by junior center fielder Aiden Robbins in the first inning and a two-out individual rally by Mendoza in the second inning when he doubled, stole third, and then scored on a wild pitch.
Facing another short week, Texas heads on the road to face South Carolina with first pitch on Thursday at 6 p.m. Central on SEC Network.
