March 11, 2005

Box Score

CORPUS CHRISTI - Texas State hit four home runs Friday afternoon in Corpus Christi, including two from Nolan Mast, but the Bobcats left eight runners on base and gave up 13 hits in a 9-5 loss to the Islanders.

Texas State got on the board first in the top of the third, when with one out Dominic Ramos homered over the left field wall, making the score 1-0. The Islanders would come storming back in their half of the third, beginning with Clay Galloway's one-out RBI triple into left field. Chuck Carter brought Galloway home with an infield ground ball, and Josh Plumaj knocked in the third A&M-Corpus Christi run with an RBI double. The Islanders capped their third inning when Carlos Estrada's two-out single plated Plumaj from second.

Texas State would again get on the board in the fifth inning with a round tripper when Mast hit an inside-the-park home run, cutting the Islander lead to 4-2.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi answered the Bobcat fifth by again lighting up the scoreboard, plating four runs on three RBI singles and a sacrifice fly in the home half of the fifth inning. The Islander scoring output was enough to force Texas State starter Chris Jean out of the game after 4.1 innings pitched, two strike outs and eight earned runs.

Texas State would grab one more run in the seventh on Heath Keel's pinch-hit solo home run to left center field, but the Islanders again answered in the bottom half of the seventh, when Plumaj scored on a double play ball in the infield. Texas State tried to close the gap again in the game's final frame, but managed to get only two runs on Mast's two-out ninth inning home run.

Mast provided much of the Bobcats' offensive production, going two-for-three at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored. The Islanders got sparks from top to bottom in the order, with Galloway leading the way batting four-for-four with an RBI and two runs scored. Estrada turned in a near-perfect performance at the plate for A&M-Corpus Christi, hitting three-for-four with an RBI and a run scored.

Islander starter Trey Hearne gave up six Bobcat runs on three hits, striking out ten in seven innings to net his third win of the year. Texas State used only two pitchers, with Jean getting the loss and dropping to 2-2 on the season. With the win, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi improved its record to 12-8-1, while the loss dropped Texas State to 12-6.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow, with the first pitch coming at 1 p.m., in Corpus Christi.