BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University baseball suffered its ninth defeat by two runs or less this season with a 6-5 loss to Texas State on Sunday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.

Appalachian State (5-14, 0-6 Sun Belt) dropped to 1-9 in games decided by two runs or less. The Mountaineers have lost by two runs or less five times in six Sun Belt Conference defeats and six times during their current nine-game skid.

After Texas State (8-10-1, 5-1 Sun Belt) won Saturday's game on a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning, Derek Scheible's leadoff homer in the top of the eighth proved to be the difference on Sunday. Scheible's solo shot came on a 3-2 pitch in his only at-bat of the game. He entered the contest in the bottom of the seventh as a defensive replacement in center field.

Despite Scheible's game-winning homer in the eighth, it was the seventh inning that doomed the Mountaineers in Sunday's loss.

Thanks to homers by Dillon Dobson in the first inning, Noah Holmes in the fourth and Michael Pierson in the sixth, Appalachian State took a 4-2 lead into the seventh. However, Texas State plated three runs in the top of the frame to take its first lead of the afternoon at 5-4.

In the bottom of the stanza, Appalachian State benefited from a pair of errors by Texas State pitcher Cory Geisler to knot the score at 5-5. After Avery Jackson drew a leadoff walk, Geisler committed throwing errors on two of the next three plays, the second of which allowed Jackson to score from second base with the tying run.

One batter later, the Mountaineers appeared to retake a 6-5 lead when Pierson beat the throw to first base on a potential 4-6-3 double play. However, Appalachian State's Grayson Atwood was called for interference on his slide into second base and, by rule, Pierson was punched out at first, erasing what would have been the go-ahead run scored by Brandon Burris from third.

The interference call was the second of the day against Appalachian. Dobson was called out in the fifth inning when he collided with Texas State pitcher Pasquale Mazzoccoli on a pop-up just a few steps outside of the batter's box along the first-base line.

The wiped-out run loomed even larger when Scheible led off the eighth with what turned out to be the game-winning homer off Appalachian State reliever Luke Watts.

Appalachian State out-hit Texas State, 11-10, but hit into three double plays. Texas State turned a whopping eight double plays in 27 innings during the three-game series sweep.

Seven different hitters contributed to the Mountaineers' 11-hit attack, led by Holmes, who went 3-for-4 with the two-run homer in the fourth. Conner Leonard and Bradley Morton added two hits apiece.

Cedric Vallieres went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored for Texas State.

The Mountaineers return to action on Tuesday with a newly added game at UNC Asheville. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.