Feb. 26, 2010

Final Stats

Waco, Texas - A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning sent the go ahead run home for the Baylor Bears and Texas State did not have an answer in the top of the ninth, and suffered its first loss of the season in a 3-2 decision Friday afternoon at the QTI Baylor Classic in Waco, Texas.

Texas State falls to 3-1 on the season and will face Western Kentucky tomorrow evening at 5 p.m. WKU will play Texas A&M tonight as part of the six-game tourney.

Michael Russo started on the mound for the Bobcats. The senior went six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits in the no decision. Carson Smith was issued the loss in his two-inning stay, allowing a single hit and one unearned run, walking one batter and retiring one on strikes.

Shaun Garcia led Texas State at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a single RBI. Garcia was the only Bobcat to tab more than one hit in the team's six-hit performance.

Baylor finished with nine hits, including two in the first to score their first run of the game. A pair of base hits put runners on the corners with no outs, and a groundout RBI put BU on the board.

Garcia initiated Texas State's comeback with a leadoff double down the right line on a 3-1 count, and Jordan Kopycinski followed with a double to right center to plate the senior and tie the game at 1-1.

In the top of the sixth, Jason Martinson was hit by a pitch, followed by a single to right field from Kyle Kubitza to put the Bobcats in position to take the lead. Freshman Daniel Neumann advanced the pair of a long fly ball down the right line, and Garcia came through again with an RBI single up the middle to send Martinson home and put the Bobcats on top.

Baylor answered with small ball in the bottom of the frame, pushing Dan Evatt to second on a sac bunt after his leadoff single up the middle. Raynor Cambell followed with a base hit down the left line and the Bears matched the score, 2-2.

In the top of the seventh, Texas State mimicked the Bears with a leadoff single from Sibley who advanced to second on a sac bunt from Bret Atwood, but Baylor reliever Josh Turley shut down Martinson and Kyle Livingstone to end the threat.

In the top of the eight, Kubitza drew a leadoff walk, but was stranded on base before Baylor's comeback stanza. With one out and runners on first and second, a potential double play was spoiled on a Bobcat fielding error and Baylor reaped the benefits to shift runners to the scoring corner. Gregg Glime followed with a sacrifice fly to left field and sent in what proved to be the game-winning run.

Brooks Pinkard closed out the game with a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, and earned his third save of the season. Turley was credited with the win after a one-hit two-inning stint on the mound.