BOONE, N.C. — Texas State's Lucas Humpal threw a complete-game eight-hitter and Appalachian State University baseball dropped its 2015 home opener to the Bobcats, 8-3, on Friday evening at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.

With temperatures in the low 40s and rain falling throughout the ballgame, Appalachian State (5-12, 0-4 Sun Belt) fell behind 5-0 after just two-and-a-half innings and couldn't string enough hits together against Humpal to stage a rally.

Trailing 6-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Appalachian State cut the deficit in half, thanks mostly to junior designated hitter Grayson Atwood. Atwood put the Mountaineers on the board with a two-run triple into the right-field corner and scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly by Dillon Dobson to make it 6-3.

However, despite putting runners on base in each of the last three innings, App State didn't pull any closer and Texas State added two runs in the top of the ninth to account for the final margin.

The Mountaineers banged out eight hits against Humpal (3-1) but Texas State's right-handed junior benefited from three double plays en route to the 106-pitch complete game.

Atwood and Conner Leonard paced the Mountaineers' eight-hit attack with two apiece.

After Appalachian fell into the 5-0 hole, southpaw Dallas DeVrieze kept the club in the ballgame with 6.1 innings of two-hit relief. Texas native Sean Mason made his first start of the season against his home-state opponent but surrendered five hits and issued two walks in 2.1 innings to suffer the loss.

Cedric Vallieres (2-for-4, two RBI, two runs) and Tanner Hill (1-for-3, three RBI, one run) led Texas State (6-10-1, 3-1 Sun Belt) offensively.

Appalachian State looks to snap a seven-game losing streak on Saturday when hosts Texas State for the second game of their three-game Sun Belt Conference series. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Smith Stadium.