March 5, 2010

Final Stats

SAN MARCOS - After trailing the majority of the game, the Texas State baseball team spurred a four-run eighth-inning rally and earned its first win of the Southland Conference season with a 5-3 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Friday night at Bobcat Field.

Texas State improves to 4-4 on the season and 1-0 in league play, while A&M-Corpus Christi falls to 5-3 and 0-1, respectively.

The Islander sent a pair of runs across in the first inning to take the early lead, and the Bobcats nearly matched the effort in their half of the frame. Laurn Randell and Bret Atwood led off with base hits to the outfield and Tyler Sibley drew a walk to load the bases. Kyle Livingstone followed and nearly belted a grand slam, but came up with a long fly ball to the warning track that gave Randell enough time to score and trim the Islander lead.

Over the next six innings, both Michael Russo and Roy Ferdin went to work on the mound, shutting down the respective teams for only three hits apiece.

"Russo pitched very well tonight," said head coach Ty Harrington. "This is the third-straight game that he has gone out and performed and I can't say enough about how proud I am of the effort."

Russo allowed seven hits and three runs in his 7 2/3 innings of work. The senior struck out a career-high eight batters in the no decision. Ferdin went six innings for the Islanders, allowing five hits, one run and one walk.

Phillip Garcia took over in the seventh and retired the side, and A&M-Corpus Christi tacked on its final run in the top of the eight. However, Texas State's bats came alive in their half of the inning for the comeback. Shaun Garcia put a single up the middle for his first at-bat of the night and a pair of groundouts followed, advancing the senior to second base, but putting the inning at stake. P. Garcia issued a walk to Sibley to put the tying run on base and a costly balk shifted the Bobcat duo to the scoring corner.

A&M-Corpus Christi brought Chris Pena to the mound, but he could not hold off the Bobcats bite, and Kyle Livingstone tagged him for a two-run single laced up the middle to tie the game. A wild pitch sent Livingstone to second base and a ground ball to the pitcher from Kyle Kubitza would have left the game in knots, but Pena dropped the ball and Livingstone rushed home.

Jason Martinson pushed the final run home with a single up the middle and Garret Carruth closed out the game with a perfect ninth for the win.

Carruth went 1 1/3 with three strikeouts in his stay on the mound, and improves to 1-0 on the season.

Livingstone went 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead Texas State's nine-hit tally.

The Bobcats will play game two of the series tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m.