April 3, 2005

Box Score

SAN MARCOS - Texas State scored five runs in the first inning Sunday, but gave up seven unanswered runs, including Brandon Morgan's three-run eighth-inning home run in a 7-6 loss to Northwestern State.

Texas State jumped out to a quick lead in the first, which began with a lead off single for Dominic Ramos. Nolan Mast followed the Ramos single with a one-base hit of his own, and Luke Cannon drew a one-out walk, loading the bases for the Bobcats and bringing Kyle Jones to the plate.

Jones drilled a base hit through the left side, scoring Ramos from third and Mast from second, and giving the Bobcats a 2-0 lead. Following a wild pitch that moved both runners up and an Elliott Babcock ground out, Jose Rodriguez turned on a pitch and drove it into left for the Bobcats' second two-run single of the inning. Rodriguez would later score on the second single of the inning for Ramos, putting the `Cats in front 5-0 after one.

Texas State scored another run in the second when Kyle Jones scored on an infield single by Rodriguez, putting the `Cats up 6-0 through two innings.

Northwestern State got on the board in the third on Michael Palermo's solo home run, and scored again in the fifth on a Blake Jones single that plated a pair of Demon runs.

The Demons held Texas State scoreless again in the home half of the fifth and neither team got on the board in the sixth. In the seventh, Northwestern State put Morgan on second base with a lead-off double and advanced him to third on a ground ball to second base. Bobby Barbier took the first pitch of the at bat the opposite way down the left field line, scoring Morgan and cutting the Texas State lead to two.

With Northwestern State inching closer on the scoreboard, Texas State brought Jarod Garza out of the bullpen to face Morgan with runners at first and second. Morgan jumped all over the Garza offering and launched the ball over the left field wall for a three-run home run that put Northwestern State in front 7-6.

Texas State was put down in order in both the eighth and ninth to secure Northwestern State's eighth Southland Conference victory of the season. Garza took the loss for the Bobcats, dropping the junior to 2-2 on the year, while Jones, the designated-hitter-turned-pitcher, got the win to improve to 4-2.

Ramos went four-for-five at the plate for the Bobcats with an RBI and a run scored, while Jones was three-for-four from the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored. Rodriguez went two-for-five with three RBIs and a run scored in the Texas State loss. Morgan, the Northwestern State offensive hero, drove home three to lead the Demons at the plate.

The loss dropped the Bobcats to 20-12 overall and 5-4 in the SLC, while Northwestern State improved to 23-10 and 8-1 to stay atop the SLC standings.

Texas State will step out of the Southland Conference on Tuesday to play the Texas Longhorns at Disch-Falk Field in Austin. First pitch between the Bobcats and Longhorns is slated for 6:15 p.m., and can be heard live on KTSW, 89.9 FM, as well as world wide on the Internet through College Sports Pass at www.txstatebobcats.com.