March 27, 2005

Box Score

SAN ANTONIO - Elliott Babcock and Dominic Ramos drove home two runs a-piece and Chris Hill pitched six shut-out innings in relief to send Texas State past Texas-San Antonio, 5-3, in the series finale Sunday at Roadrunner Field.

Things looked bleak for the Bobcats through five innings, as Texas State trailed 3-2 with UTSA starter Caleb Barton still on the mound.

Texas State did jump on top early in the game, scoring two in the top of the second when Heath Keel singled home Cassidy Dresch and Ramos laid down a bunt for an infield hit that plated Keel from third. UTSA answered the Bobcat second with a pair of runs in its own half of the second inning, marked by a Lee Todesco RBI single and a wild pitch that scored a run.

The Roadrunners took their first lead of the game in the third, when Ryan Bennett walked Ryan Crew, who eventually scored on a Chris Lewis sacrifice fly that put UTSA on top 3-2. The walk chased Bennett from the game after two innings pitched with a strike out and three runs earned, bringing Hill into the game in relief for the `Cats.

Hill, combined with Texas State closer Scott Moore, shut down the Roadrunner offense, holding UTSA without a hit in the last six innings of the game. Texas State was held off of the scoreboard until the sixth inning, but put up a single run in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings on the way to the two-run victory.

Nolan Mast singled to begin the sixth and took two bases on consecutive steals following a Kyle Jones fly out to center and a Jose Rodriguez strike out. With two outs and Mast at third, Babcock drilled a pitch through the right side of the infield, scoring Mast and tying the game at 3-3.

In the seventh, Keel led off with a single and advanced to second on a balk. Dawid Benarek laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Keel to third, and Ramos lifted a fly ball to right, deep enough to score Keel from third, giving Texas State the lead 4-3.

The eighth inning began with a one-out, pinch-hit single by Jared Bunn into left field. Babcock came to the plate with one RBI already, and pulled an inside pitch down the left field line, scoring Bunn from first and putting himself on second with a double.

Hill knocked down the Roadrunners in order in the eighth to get his first win of the season, and Moore retired all three batters he faced in the ninth, gaining his fourth save of the year. Barton took the loss for the Roadrunners, dropping his record to 1-3 on the season.

Babcock was the spark behind Texas State's Easter-Sunday offense, as the freshman from El Campo, Texas, went three-for-four at the plate with two RBI. Keel also provided some firepower for the Bobcats, going two-for-four at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored, while Ramos was one-for-four at the plate with a pair of RBI.

The win snapped a two-game skid for the Bobcats, moving Texas State to 19-10 overall and 4-2 in the Southland Conference. The loss broke UTSA's four-game winning streak and set the Roadrunners back to 4-2 in SLC play, as well as 8-17 overall this season.

Texas State will have this week off from mid-week baseball, and the Bobcats return to Southland Conference play next weekend. Texas State will welcome the first-place Northwestern State Demons to San Marcos for a three-game series, with first pitch in the series opener slated for Friday at 6:30 p.m. The Bobcats and Demons will conclude the three-game SLC series on Saturday and Sunday at Bobcat Field.