COLLEGE STATION, Texas (Interstat) — The Texas State Bobcats defeated the Southern California Trojans 5-4 in a playoff game Friday at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.

Texas State improved to 37-24, while Southern California fell to 43-16.

Ryan Markwardt started for Texas State and threw three scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out four. The Bobcats opened the scoring in the second inning when Quinten Stewart doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Chase Mora.

Southern California tied the game in the bottom of the second after a throwing error by shortstop Brady Boles allowed a run to score unearned. The Trojans took a 2-1 lead in the third when a fielding error by third baseman Mora kept the inning alive and John Basseer delivered an RBI single.

Abbrie Covarrubias extended the Trojans’ lead to 3-1 with a solo home run in the fourth inning off reliever Kade Beversdorf.

Texas State answered in the fifth. Hunter Cotton walked and Boles followed with a two-run homer to left field, knotting the score at 3-3. Grant Govel started for Southern California and finished with 5 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and three earned runs with six strikeouts.

The score remained tied until the bottom of the eighth when Adrian Lopez hit a solo home run off Texas State reliever Wade Cooper, giving the Trojans a 4-3 lead.

Texas State responded in the top of the ninth. Nick Vossos reached on a fielding error by third baseman Kevin Takeuchi. After a sacrifice bunt moved Vossos to second, Mora hit a two-run homer to left-center field, driving in Vossos and himself to put the Bobcats ahead 5-4. The runs were unearned because of the earlier error.

Cooper, who entered in the seventh, worked the final three innings, allowing one earned run on no hits while striking out five. He retired the side in order after the homer, stranding a runner in the ninth to preserve the victory.

Cade Smith and Dylan Kerbow combined for two scoreless innings of relief for Texas State. Andrew Johnson threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings for Southern California.

Mora finished 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs. Boles went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. For Southern California, Covarrubias was 2 for 4 with a home run and an RBI, and Lopez was 2 for 4 with a home run and an RBI.

The game was a tightly contested affair that saw both teams rely on strong pitching and key defensive mistakes. Texas State managed only eight hits to Southern California’s 10, but used two home runs to overcome a one-run deficit twice.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Texas State 8, Southern California 7. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Southern California with a 64.00 percent probability to win.