April 7, 2006

Box Score

NATCHITOCHES, La. - Scott Moore struck out 12 and pitched his second complete game of the season Friday, as the Bobcats got home runs from Heath Keel and Aaron Garza to cruise past Northwestern State 5-0 at Brown-Stroud Field.

Texas State (15-19, 11-5 SLC) rattled off ten hits in the game, while Northwestern State (14-17, 2-8) did not record a base hit past its sixth batter in the loss.

The Bobcats jumped on top in the second inning, as Keel reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on a fielder's choice bunt by Dawid Bednarek.

Following a fly-out, Thomas Field ripped a two-out single into center, scoring Keel and giving the `Cats a 1-0 lead.

The Bobcats added to the lead in the fifth, as Cody Merrell reached on a single through the left side.

Merrell, who finished the night 2-for-5 at the plate, moved to second on a ground-out by Garza, and Keel opened the Bobcat lead to 3-0 one batter later with a one-out homer on a 2-1 pitch that sailed over the left-field wall.

In the seventh, Luke Cannon walked and stole second to lead off the inning.

Merrell would fly out to center for the inning's first out, but Garza followed with a towering shot that cleared the trees behind the left-field wall to give the Bobcats a 5-0 lead.

Moore continued to dominate over the final innings, falling one strike out short of his career high, which was set two starts ago against Southeastern Louisiana.

Moore walked only four batters in the game while surrendering only two hits in the win that improved his record to 5-3 on the year.

NSU starter Fraser Robinson took the loss to fall to 4-2 after giving up all five Bobcat runs and seven of Texas State's ten hits in the game.

Garza finished the night 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Keel was also 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two trips across the plate. Field pushed across the team's first RBI in a 1-for-3 outing.

The only Demon hits in the game were credited to Michael Palermo and Ben Rodriguez, who each went 1-for-3.

The win represented Texas State's first at Brown-Stroud Field since a Friday night win over the Demons in the 2004 season. Texas State lost both games in its trip to Natchitoches last season in the SLC tournament.

Texas State and Northwestern State will continue the series Saturday, with first pitch slated for 2 p.m. at NSU's Brown-Stroud Field.