March 19, 2006

Box Score

SAN MARCOS - David Wood's two-RBI single in the bottom of the 11th earned Texas State its first extra-inning win of the season, as the Bobcats beat Southeastern Louisiana 11-10 Sunday at Bobcat Field.

Wood went 2-for-6 in the game with four RBIs and a home run, and the junior southpaw also picked up the win with 2.1 innings pitched to finish the extra-inning victory.

Southeastern Louisiana (10-10, 2-4 SLC) looked to be in control early, plating four runs in the top of the first off of Bobcat starter Mike Hart.

Texas State (11-13, 7-2 SLC) added its first run in the bottom of the third, as Kyle Jones singled home Dawid Bednarek to cut the Lion lead to 3-1.

Jones finished the day with a career-best four hits, going 4-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored.

Southeastern answered in the fourth, scoring on Kyle Ginn's RBI ground out, but Texas State climbed back to within three in the home-half of the fourth on Heath Keel's RBI single that plated Cody Merrell.

The Lions continued to add to the lead in the next two innings, scoring one in the fifth and two more in the sixth to lead 8-2 through five and a half innings played.

The Bobcat sixth started with a Jones single through the middle, and Jones came home as Wood took the second pitch in his next at bat over the right-center field wall for a two-run shot that made the score 8-4.

Aaron Garza kept the inning going with a one-out double into left, and Casey Guest cut the SLU lead to three with an RBI single through the middle.

Southeastern would again add to its lead in the seventh, scoring Ginn scored on Will Peay's single into right field, but Texas State stormed back to tie the game in the middle of the stretch inning with four runs that knotted the score at 9-9.

Cassidy Dresch led off the inning with a walk and later scored when Jones ripped a single into left center. Lion left fielder Ryan Spencer misplayed the ball, enabling Jones to reach third and Dresch to come around from first, making the score 9-6 with no outs.

With Jones at third, Wood was coaxed into an infield pop up, but Cody Merrell delivered with a one-out, two-run home run that landed over the left field wall onto the outfield in the Bobcat Softball Complex.

Down one, Garza ripped a single to center and stole second with Guest at the plate. Guest jumped on a 1-0 offering from SLU reliever Matt Greenwich, pulling the ball through the left side.

The single tied the game at 9-9, as Garza crossed from second base.

Both teams went scoreless through the remaining two innings in regulation, and after a scoreless tenth, Southeastern put one across in the 11th to take a 10-9 lead.

SLU lead-off hitter Bryan Frichter started the inning with a base hit to left and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.

Lion shortstop Richard Imhoff then sent Wood's 0-1 pitch back up the middle into center, scoring Frichter and giving Southeastern the one-run advantage.

Texas State's half of the 11th began when Guest reached first base on an error to lead off the inning, followed by a Thomas Field walk that left runners at first and second.

Cassidy Dresch hit a ground ball to Frichter at third, who threw to second to get Field, leaving Dresch on by way of the fielders' choice.

Jones drew a walk to load the bases, and Wood delivered the game-ending blow, lifting a single into center field to score Guest from third and Dresch from second, earning the `Cats the walk-off, one-run win.

Garza, who started the game as the designated hitter and later moved to left field, went 3-for-6 in the game with two runs scored, while Merrell finished the day with two RBIs and a home run. Guest finished the day 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.

Southeastern had five players post two-hit outings, led by Wade Miley and Ricky Newman, who each had two hits and two RBIs. Miley took the loss on the day to drop to 2-3, after coming in to finish the game on the mound.

The decision was the first-career win for Wood, who upped his record to 1-0.

Texas State takes the field Tuesday, in the first of two games in a mid-week series against Texas-Pan American. First pitch Tuesday is slated for 6:30, and the series concludes Wednesday at 3 p.m.