May 22, 2009

Final Stats

Corpus Christi, Texas - Brian Borski pitched effectively for 6 1/3 innings, Bret Atwood piloted an errorless defense and the Texas State baseball team punched out 10 hits against the Lamar Cardinals to take a 10-1 victory Thursday night in game two of the Southland Conference Tournament at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Texas State improves to a 40-14 overall record, a mark that surpasses a previous season win total of 39 set in 1987.

The Bobcats, 2-0 in SLC Tournament play, will face the winner of a Friday noon contest between Lamar and UT Arlington, tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. Tonight's game against Lamar saw a first pitch at 9:11 and ran until 12:14 a.m.

"The game before ours ran long, but it was not a distraction," said head coach Ty Harrington. "It's only a distraction if you let it be, so our guys looked at it as entertainment."

The team followed the entertainment with some of their own, including a six-run third inning that broke open two scoreless frames of baseball. Jason Martinson led off the inning with a walk and Tyler Sibley reached on an error from third base in the next at-bat. The pair shifted to scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Atwood and Lamar intentionally walked Paul Goldschmidt to load the bases. A pair of RBI base hits from Keith Prestridge and Spenser Dennis initiated the scoring and a sacrifice fly from Ben Theriot gave Texas State a quick three runs.

The Bobcats batted through the line up in the third inning and the final three runs of the frame came on a one-run single through the left side from Lance Loftin and a two-run deep double to center field from Kyle Livingstone.

In the top of the fifth, Livingstone tallied his third RBI, a team-leading feat; with a sacrifice fly to give Texas State a 7-0 lead. Atwood topped off the lead with a diving catch in shallow centerfield to start off the bottom half of the inning.

Texas State tacked on two more runs in the seventh and their final run in the eighth for the win.

Lamar's lone run came in the bottom of the seventh when Anthony Moore tripled to centerfield and scored on Brian Taylor's ground out to second base.

Borski combined with Tyler Brundridge in the nine-inning effort to shut down the Cardinal offense to just six hits and one earned run.

Dennis led Texas State's offense with three hits and three runs scored.

Friday night's game will be broadcast on 89.9 FM and live stats will be available on www.txstatebobcats.com.