April 9, 2006

Box Score

NATCHITOCHES, La. - Johnny Santangelo broke a 3-3 tie in the 16th inning with a single to left center, as Northwestern State prevented a Bobcat sweep in a 4-3 win Sunday at Brown-Stroud Field in Natchitoches.

Texas State (16-20, 12-6 SLC) stranded 14 runners in the game, while Northwestern State (15-18, 3-9) saved one game out of the series for its third SLC win.

Cody Merrell finished 3-for-6 at the plate for the `Cats, while Justin Fiske tossed 8.1 relief innings to take the loss, dropping his record to 2-4. Daniel Clark picked up the win in relief for the Demons, improving to 1-0 on the year.

The Demons scored the game's first run in the second inning, starting when Bobby Barbier reached first on a hit-by-pitch. Barbier stole second and was then doubled home by Michael Flower to put NSU up 1-0.

NSU added its second run in the third, when Michael Palermo crossed from third on a hard-chopped RBI ground-out to third by Miles Durham.

Texas State would come back to erase the lead in the fourth, starting with a pair of two-out singles by Jared Bunn and Pat Crumpton.

Both base runners moved up on a wild pitch, and Bednarek hit a ground ball through the middle, scoring both Bunn and Crumpton to tie the game at 2-2.

The tie stood until the bottom of the seventh, when with one out, Palermo pulled a ground ball through the left side to score Chris Salim from third base to give the Demons a one-run lead.

Texas State again answered, as Luke Cannon opened the top of the eighth by belting the inning's first pitch over the wall in right center to tie the game at 3-3.

Northwestern threatened in the bottom of the eighth, when with Durham standing at second, pinch-hit designated hitter Knox McQuorquodale laced a single into right field.

Cannon scooped up the ball and fired to Bednarek, gunning down Durham to end the inning and save the potential Demon run.

After the Bobcats were punched out in order to start the ninth, Flower led off the home-half with a double to left field.

Bobcat reliever Justin Fiske got Scott Pittenger to fly out to right on the next Demon at bat, followed by a pinch-hit Michael Jaworski strike out.

After Palermo was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second, Fiske coaxed Marty Deweese into a fielder's choice that put Palermo out at second to ended the inning.

Texas State was unable to scratch out a run in the top of the tenth despite a Merrell single with one out, and the Demons again started their half of the inning with a double to left field by Durham.

Bobby Barbier struck out for the inning's first out, but two pitches later Durham stole third to put the winning run 90 feet away with one out.

Ben Rodriguez struck out for the second out of the inning, and the `Cats intentionally walked McQuorquodale to bring Santangelo, a relief pitcher-turned center fielder, to the plate for his first-ever collegiate at bat.

Santangelo struck out on four pitches, allowing Texas State to again escape to the 11th inning.

Both teams stayed scoreless over the next five and a half innings, and in the bottom of the 16th, Santangelo delivered his first career base hit and RBI to score Rodriguez from second.

Texas State will step out of SLC action for its next three games, as the Bobcats travel to Texas A&M Tuesday before hosting a two-game set next weekend against Dallas Baptist.