March 10, 2009

Final Stats

SAN MARCOS - TCU hit three home runs in the top of the sixth and finished the frame with six runs to erase the Texas State Bobcats 4-3 lead and eventually take a 9-5 win Tuesday night at Bobcat Field. Texas State shifts to 9-4 on the season before heading into Southland Conference action this weekend.

Down 4-3, Matt Curry, Jason Coats and Taylor Featherston belted three-straight homers to start off TCU's portion of the sixth. A pair of singles split by a walk loaded the bases for the Horned Frogs and Ben Carruthers connected on a fielder's choice for an RBI. Texas State surrendered two more hits before retiring the inning, but the damage was done and TCU held a 9-4 edge.

The Horned Frogs opened the game by sending two runs across in the top of the first, but designated hitter Keith Prestridge matched the mark with a two-run homer to left center. Bret Atwood drew a walk to reach base before the junior's second knock of the season.

After a scoreless second, the two teams continued to go back and forth both adding one run in the third. Freshman Tyler Sibley struck for his second home run of the season on a long ball over the left centerfield fence to tie the game.

Texas State added the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth for the lead, capitalizing on a TCU error. On two outs, Featherstone mishandled a shot from Sibley to put the leadoff on base and Atwood followed with a solid triple down the right line to give Texas State the edge.

The lead was short-lived after TCU's six-run sixth, but Texas State managed one more run in the bottom of the eighth.

Paul Goldschmidt, on his lone hit of the night, struck a base hit up the middle and shifted to third on Prestridge's double to centerfield. With runners on the corners, Kaleb Merck struck out Lance Loftin, but walked Kyle Kubitza to load the bases. Adam Witek sent Goldschmidt flying home on a hard-hitting single up the middle and TCU called for a change on the mound.

Ben Theriot made his first appearance of the night at the plate, but Eric Marshall forced him to hit into a double play to retire the inning.

TCU out-hit Texas State 14-9. Prestridge led the team with a 3-for-4 night and a pair of RBIs. Atwood was the only other Bobcat to manage more than one hit, finishing 2-for-4 with a single RBI.

Michael Russo took the loss for Texas State and shifts to 0-2 on the season. The junior went five innings and allowed five runs, four of which were earned, off eight hits.

Texas State's next bout on the field will be Mar. 13 when they begin a three-game series with Sam Houston State. This will mark the first SLC contest for the Bobcats since its Feb. 27 meeting with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Both Texas State and Sam Houston are 3-0 in league play and first pitch on Friday is set for 6:30 p.m.