March 5, 2006

Stats

NACOGDOCHES - Cody Merrell hit a three-run home run to break a 3-3 seventh-inning tie Sunday in Texas State's 7-3 win over Stephen F. Austin at Jaycees Field in Nacogdoches.

Texas State improved to 5-11 overall and 2-1 in the Southland Conference, as the Bobcats return to the field Tuesday in Round Rock at Dell Diamond to take on Texas A&M.

Stephen F. Austin (4-13, 1-2) took the game's first lead in the third inning when freshman shortstop Gabriel Garcia singled into left field on an 0-2 pitch from Bobcat starter Mike Hart.

Garcia moved to second on a failed pick-off attempt and advanced to third on a sacrifice from Kyle Freeman. Lumberjack catcher Steven Hill then lifted a fly ball into center deep enough to score Garcia from third, giving SFA a 1-0 lead.

Texas State got on the board in the fifth inning, beginning with walks by Casey Guest and Thomas Field. The Bobcats tied the game when the next batter, Heath Keel, ripped a one-out double down the left-field line to score Guest.

Field moved to second on Keel's double, and would later score on Aaron Garza's sacrifice fly to center field, putting Texas State up 2-1.

The Bobcats added to the lead when Luke Cannon laced a two-out pitch into right, plating Keel to make the score 3-1.

The lead would not last past the SFA fifth, as Buck Britton scored on a passed ball and Garcia tied the game on Freeman's sacrifice line-out to center.

After a scoreless sixth inning, Field led off the seventh with a single through the left side, and would later steal second, while Garza took first on a one-out hit-by-pitch.

SFA relief-pitcher Kyle Watson started to get the Lumberjacks out of the jam, forcing Cannon to pop out on the infield, but one batter later, Merrell pounded Watson's two-out, 1-2 offering over the left-center field wall, busting open the 3-3 tie to give Texas State a 6-3 lead.

The Bobcats added one more in the eighth when Elliott Babcock scored on Dawid Bednarek's RBI bunt single, making the score 7-3.

Hart tossed 7.2 innings to even his record at 1-1, while Jared Schrom took the loss for SFA. SFA was led at the plate by David Jeans, who went 2-for-3.

Keel finished the day 2-for-5 for Texas State with an RBI and a run scored, while Merrell drove in three and scored once in a 1-for-5 day at the plate. Cannon ran his team leading RBI total to 15 with one driven in while finishing the day 3-for-5 at the plate. Bednarek also finished with a multi-hit day, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.