April 5, 2007

Final Stats

SAN MARCOS - Texas State tagged Sam Houston State starting pitcher Jesse Marshall for seven runs off seven hits in the bottom of the first inning and the Bobcats cruised to a 12-0 shutout win in the first of a three-game series with the Bearkats Thursday. The game was called by the 10-run rule in the seventh inning.

Marshall entered the game having allowed just 10 earned runs all season but was tagged for 11 runs, all earned, in picking up the loss and falling to 6-2.

After Thomas Field drew a leadoff walk, the Bobcat hitting barrage tagged Marshall for five straight hits. Laurn Randell reached on a base hit bunt before David Wood doubled to plate the Bobcats' first run. A single by Paul Goldschmidt would score Randell from third and Wood would score when Marshall was called for a balk on a play toward first.

After Aaron Garza singled, Elliot Babcock drove in another run.

Leading 4-0, Texas State's first out came when Jared Bunn laid down a bunt to move runners into scoring position. Gerry Cervantez then ripped a single down the left field line that would score two more runs. Texas State nine-hole hitter Casey Guest would single in the Bobcats' last run of the inning as the club led 7-0 after the first frame.

Offensively, David Wood went 3-for-4 with two doubles and drove in three runs. Paul Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBI.

With the comfortable lead, Texas State starter Justin Fiske went the distance. It was the first complete game by a Bobcat this season. He scattered three hits and struck out two while facing 23 batters, two over the minimum. The College Station native allowed runners to advance to second only in the third and fourth innings.

Fiske was a late change in the starting rotation. Mike Hart is usually the Bobcats' first-game starter in conference series but was held out as the series which began a day early due to the upcoming Easter holiday. The change set up a lefty vs. lefty battle. Fiske improved to 5-1 with the victory while Marshall dropped to 6-2.

Texas State entered the series one game ahead of the Bearkats in the Southland Conference West Division standings. With the win, the Bobcats improved to 22-10 overall and 9-1 in the SLC. SHSU is now 21-11and 7-3.

The two teams play Friday at 3 p.m. before closing out the series Saturday with a 1 p.m. game.