April 16, 2005

Box Score

MONROE, La. - Chris Jean tossed five innings of three-hit, two-run baseball and Kyle Jones drove home three runs as Texas State held off Louisiana-Monroe for a 6-5 win at Indian Field.

Texas State (23-16, 7-7 SLC) got its first run in the first inning, when Nolan Mast scored from second on an error by the Indian shortstop, and Texas State scored again in the second when Dominic Ramos brought home Cody Ross with an RBI single. The Bobcats put up a third run on Jones' solo home run to left in the third, and scored their fourth run in the fourth inning when Dawid Bednarek plated Cassidy Dresch with an RBI single.

Louisiana-Monroe (18-17, 4-10 SLC) waited until the fifth inning to spark the scoreboard, putting one run across the plate on an RBI single to center field.

Texas State answered the ULM run in the fifth with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. Kyle Anson ripped a single into center field and Bednarek scored from second on the play, due to an error by the ULM center fielder. Jones followed the ULM error with a sacrifice fly, scoring Mast for his third RBI of the game, making the score 6-1 through five and a half.

UL-Monroe scrapped back in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four runs and cutting the Texas State lead to one. The inning started with a double into left, followed by a ground out and a second double into left field, scoring the first Indian run of the inning. The inning's third ULM double brought home the second run of the sixth inning's home half, and a two-RBI single followed to plate a pair.

Chris Hill tabbed the first two outs of the sixth inning, while Brady Robbins came on to face one batter, followed by Jarod Garza, who grabbed the final out of the sixth, leaving the score 6-5 in favor of Texas State through six full innings.

Garza stayed on for the next two innings, giving up just one hit and holding ULM off of the board, while Jason Baca came on in the ninth and retired the Indians in order to get his first save of the season. Jean got the win for the Bobcats, going five innings, with three hits, two runs (one earned) and striking out two. Jean did walk six batters on the day, but his record improved to 5-4 on the season.

Jones' three RBIs led Texas State on the afternoon, and the Bobcat first baseman also scored a run in his one-for-three, one home run outing. Anson also drove home a run, going three-for-five on the day, while Mast scored a pair of runs despite going 0-for-four. Ross was the only other Bobcat with multiple hits, going two-for-four with an RBI and a run scored.

Kyle Smith took the loss for ULM, dropping his record to 0-3 on the season.

The Bobcats and Indians will play the series rubber match on Sunday, with first pitch at Indian Field slated for 1 p.m.