April 22, 2006

Box Score

SAN MARCOS - Texas State and Nicholls State split a pair of games at Bobcat Field on Saturday afternoon, with the Bobcats taking the opening game, 5-2 and the Lady Colonels rebounding for an 8-5 win in game two.

In the first game of the afternoon, Texas State broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third, exploding for five runs off five hits.

Ryan Kos sparked the Bobcat rally when she delivered a one-out solo shot over the center field wall. Three batters later, with Kristin Gunter and Katie Ann Trahan on base safely, Alex Newton unloaded a blast of her own to deep left field that stretched the Texas State lead to 4-0. The `Cats would add one more run in the inning to extend the lead to five.

Nicholls State (20-28, 10-13) responded with a miniature rally of its own in the visitor half of the fourth.

With two away in the inning, Brandi Hahn reached base on an error and scored a batter later when freshman Danielle Clayton sent a two-run shot over the left field fence that cut the gap to 5-2.

Texas State (31-18, 17-3) had all they would need, as Trahan retired the final ten batters she faced to pick up her league-best 19th win of the season. She only allowed two runs on one hit while striking out seven.

Seven different Bobcats recorded a hit in the first game, including multi-hits from Kos, Karen Taylor and Jill Kloesel.

In the final game of the afternoon, the teams would combine for 13 runs off 17 hits, with most of the action coming in the fifth and sixth innings.

Krystalin Ensminger carried a no-hitter through 4.2 innings and looked comfortable in the circle with a 3-0 lead.

With Tamara Keller safe at first and two away in the inning, the Texas State crowd sensed a little bit of urgency and suddenly came alive.

After an Amy Hromadka hit-by-pitch, Kos responded with a double to the left center field gap that scored Keller and Hromadka and brought the crowd to their feet. Trahan evened the score at 3-3 when she sent a sharp single through the middle that scored Kos.

Ali McCormack capped off the fifth-inning rally with her fourth home run of the season that put the `Cats on top, 5-3.

Ensminger was chased out of the circle, forcing the Lady Colonels to bring in Alex Austin in relief. Austin allowed Newton and Taylor to reach base, but forced Chelsea Giroux to pop up to end the threat.

Nicholls State fired right back, plating four runs off four hits.

Meghan Mulcahy led off the inning with a double to left center and three consecutive bunts from Kodi Butler, Jacqueline Pacheco and Amy Thibodeaux cut the lead to one.

After Teri Clouatre reached on a fielder's choice, Leah Peterson sent a base-clearing double to right center field that put Nicholls on top for good, 8-5.

The rubber match of the weekend series is set for noon on Sunday.