Feb. 10, 2007

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SAN MARCOS - Aaron Garza went 4-for-4 at the plate, scored two runs and drove in two more as Texas State slugged out 16 hits in a 9-4 win over Prairie View A&M Saturday at Bobcat Field.

Garza also stole two bases in Saturday's game. In the two-game weekend series, the senior outfielder went 7-for-8 at the plate and scored four runs.

Texas State won its fourth straight to improve to 5-1. The Bobcats take on their second nationally-ranked opponent from the ESPN/USA Today poll when the travel to Baylor on Tuesday. The Bears, ranked No. 24 in the poll, opened their season with a 4-2 loss to Houston Friday and are slated to play Rice and Vanderbilt at the Houston College Classic.

Prairie View A&M slipped to 8-2 with Saturday's loss. The Panthers will return to San Marcos next Friday to finish up a three-game series this season.

Texas State staked out an early 1-0 lead when Thomas Field led off the game with a walk, stole second and scored on a single to left by David Wood.

Kyle Gembler started on the hill for the Bobcats and came up one out short of picking up the win. With Texas State up 3-2 after four, Gembler got into trouble again in the fifth. With one out, Brandon Whitby was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Oscar Goldman. A single by leadoff hitter Michael Richard chased Gembler and brought Jason Baca to the mound. Baca quickly picked off Richard to end the inning.

Baca retired the side in the sixth, ending the inning with a strikeout. He would pick up the win to improve to 2-0 on the year.

The Bobcat offense gave its pitching staff breathing room in the bottom of the fifth, scoring five runs to build an 8-2 lead. Highlighting the scoring onslaught was a two-run homer by David Wood, the Bobcats' first dinger of the season. Texas State would tag on three more runs in the inning on RBI singles by Elliot Babcock, Casey Guest and Field.

Phillip Lynch would struggle in the top of the seventh, giving up two runs on three hits. Matt Oakes would come on two work the seventh and eighth while Eric Weaver finished the game on the mound.