March 14, 2009

Final Stats

SAN MARCOS - Central Texas weather forced the Texas State baseball team to play a doubleheader with Sam Houston State Saturday afternoon and after five hours of baseball the two teams split its pair of games Southland Conference games. The Bearkats used a four-run eighth inning to take a 7-5 win in game one, but Kane Holbrooks shut down the foe's lofty offense in game two to aid Texas State's 6-3 win at Bobcat Field.

The final game of the weekend series is set for 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Both Texas State and Sam Houston State are 4-1 in league action, while the Bobcats are 10-5 on the season and the Bearkats are 11-5.

Bret Atwood went 4-for-8 in the pair of games with a team-best four runs scored. Paul Goldschmidt notched his sixth and seventh home run split between the two games and added five RBIs in a 3-for-7 afternoon against the Bearkats.

In game one, Texas State took the early lead in the bottom of the first when Goldschmidt belted his first homer, erasing a Sam Houston State 1-0 lead with a two-run shot to left field. Atwood scored on the hit after reaching base on a single to left field.

The Bearkats came back with two runs in the top of the third for the edge, but Jacob Howard loaded the bases in the Bobcat portion of the third and a sacrifice fly from Keith Prestridge scored Tyler Sibley to tie the game. Atwood took off for the plate at third base in the midst of the commotion and was caught in a run down, but snuck by catcher Mark Wyatt to give Texas State a 4-3 lead.

Goldschmidt and Atwood connected again for Texas State final run in the bottom of the seventh when Atwood drew a walk on two outs before crossing the plate on a double down the right line from the slugger.

The 5-3 leAd would be short-lived as four runs scored off three hits in the top of the eighth that Texas State could not recover from.

Zach Tritz was dealt the loss, pitching 7.2 innings, allowing ten hits and six runs while walking three batters.

However Kane Holbrooks started for the Bobcats in the final game of the day and worked 7.2 innings as well, and allowed 10 hits but just two runs scored. Holbrooks struck out five batters and improved overall to a 4-0 record with the 6-3 win over Sam Houston.

The right-hander pitched four scoreless innings before the Bearkats broke through on the board, but the Bobcats already held a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Atwood and Goldschmidt scored on the junior's final home run of the afternoon. Atwood led off the inning with an infield bunt before scoring on the two-RBI hit.

In the top of the fifth, Sam Houston countered on a two-RBI single from Nick Zaleski that scored Justin Keithley and Braeden Riley.

In the bottom of the frame, Texas State tacked on four runs to take a 6-2 lead. Catcher Jordan Kopycinski notched an RBI single through the right side that scored Adam Witek. The senior led off the inning with a 3-2 single to right field, stole second and reached third on a failed pick-off attempt from Sam Houston's mound that went awry.

Dallas Gallant loaded the bases for Texas State in the next at-bats, giving up a single to Jason Martinson and walking Tyler Sibley, before Atwood hit a an RBI ground out to score Kopycinski. With two down, the Bearkats intentionally walked Goldschmidt, but designated hitter Prestridge knocked a single to centerfield and picked up a pair of RBI, scoring Sibley and Martinson for the Bobcats final runs.

Sam Houston added a final run in the bottom of the ninth, but Lance Loftin escaped the inning with minimal damage.

The Bearkats out-hit the Bobcats in both games combined 24-18. Both teams notched 10 RBIs.

Texas State's bullpen compiled a 5.00 ERA, while Sam Houston State recorded a 5.82 ERA.

Live stats and an online radio broadcast will be available for the final game of the series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.