April 28, 2009

Final Stats

Austin, Texas - Impressive pitching from No. 8 Texas put a stop to a hot-hitting Texas State baseball team and rationed the Bobcats to just six hits to take a 12-2 decision at UFCU Disch-Falk Field Tuesday night.

The loss snaps a 12-game winning streak for Texas State and drops the team's overall record to 31-11. Texas snaps a four-game skid without a win in tonight's victory and improves to 30-11-1.

Garret Carruth was handed his first loss since his Mar. 15 appearance against Sam Houston State. The junior shifts to 3-2 after going 3 2/3 innings and allowing five runs off eight hits.

The Bobcats offense struck first to lead off the game when Keith Prestridge roped in Tyler Sibley on a base hit up the middle, The lead-off batter was hit by a pitch and scored the first run Texas had surrendered to an opponent at home in the first inning all season.

The lead faded fast as the Longhorns erased the deficit with a two-run home run down the left line from Brandon Belt, but the Bobcats snuck back in the game with a single run in the top of the third. Ben Theriot drew the leadoff walk and shifted to second base on a groundout before crossing the plate on Sibley's shallow base hit dropped into right field.

Tied at 2-2, Texas answered the see-saw affair with a second set of runs to take a 4-2 edge. Back-to-back singles put runners on and a sacrifice bunt shifted Kyle Lusson and Brandon Loy to the scoring corner. Carruth launched a wild pitch to push Lusson across and an RBI single from Connor Rowe gave Texas the lead.

Stayton Thomas took the mound in the top of the third and Texas State's bats were silenced. Kyle Kubitza pulled a base hit to right field in the top of the fourth, but was erased from the base path on a two-out fielder's choice. It wasn't until three frames later that the Bobcats could produce another hit. On two outs, Sibley hit a solid shot to short and Bret Atwood backed it with a single up the middle for a rally. The two would stay put as Paul Goldschmidt hit into a fielder's choice to retire Atwood for the final out of the inning.

Texas took advantage of Texas State's pitching staff and rapped out seven hits for five runs through seven relief pitchers. The Longhorns scored in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of doubles and tacked on two more runs sixth and seventh frames.

The final three runs in the bottom of the eighth gave Texas the ten-run lead after out-hitting Texas State 15-6.

Stayton Thomas pitched five scoreless innings and improved to 2-0 on the season with the win.

Prestridge and Sibley were the lone Bobcats to manage multiple hits against the Longhorns.

Texas State will regroup from tonight's decision to take on UTSA for a three-game Southland Conference series this weekend. The Bobcats will host game one of the I-35 Maroon vs. Orange Rivalry Series Friday night at 6:30 p.m. The final two games of the series will be played in San Antonio.