April 18, 2010

Final Stats

Hammond, Louisiana - Despite four errors and just eight hits, the Texas State Bobcats managed to come back from on eight-run deficit to get the tying run to the plate, but No. 23 Southeastern Louisiana held off the charge with a double-play ball and took a 9-6 decision over the Bobcats to claim the series Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.

SLU improves to 12-6 in Southland Conference play, but the Texas State's 13-5 record still puts the team at the top of the league standings. Overall, the teams stand at 29-9 and 21-13, respectively.

Trailing 9-5 entering the ninth, the Bobcats did not die down. Working with one out, Laurn Randell put a single up the middle and stole second base with ease. Atwood came behind with his lone hit of the afternoon, driving a double down the left line to plate Randell and a Jason Martinson followed up with a base hit into shallow right field to bring up Jeff McVaney.

SLU stopper Chris Franklin got McVaney to bite on the first pitch and a 5-4-3 double play ended the game.

Franklin earned his seventh save of the season closing out the final two innings on the mound, while Jordan Hymel (6-1) went seven innings for SLU to earn the win.

SLU scored first for the third time in as many meetings on a two-out double from Franklin. Sophomore Cody Gougler reached on a leadoff walk and a pair of groundouts shifted him to third before scoring on the third baseman turned closer's hit.

The leadoff walk came back to hurt Texas State in the third and put Josh Cryer. The Lions worked him around the bases for a 2-0 edge and grew the mark to 4-0 in the fourth. Chris Ernest reached on a catcher's interference call, followed by a Cass Hargis base hit. Bobcat starter Lee Colon was called for a balk and advanced the two runners before they rounded the bases on a two-run single into left center.

Errors plagued the Bobcats in the fifth and the Lions took an 8-0 lead. After Gougler was issued a walk, a pick-off attempt sailed awry and put him on second base. Colon came back to strike out the next batter, but the final pitch went past Andrew Stumph and Brock Hebert took first. Hebert tried to steal second and a dropped ball on the tag allowed him to stay and with runners in position and Franklin doubled to bring in the pair. A base hit brought in Franklin for the final run of the frame.

Texas State's tried to make up for the miscues in the top of the sixth with its offense and came through on the effort. Atwood took first on a walk and followed up with a deep double to right center. The two rounded the bases on a hard-hit single laced up the middle from Kyle Livingstone and the senior didn't sit long himself, coming around on a longball from Kyle Kubitza. Kubitza's home run marked the sophomore's fifth of the season and trimmed the score to 8-4.

SLU tacked on another run in the seventh, but Texas State continued to fight back in the eighth. A pair of walks and a base hit loaded the bases with no outs and Stumph, the lone Bobcat with a grand slam this year, came to the plate hoping to repeat the feat. However, Franklin got Stumph to hit into an RBI double play and struck out Shaun Garcia in the next at-bat to end the Bobcats threat.

Texas State was held to eight hits on the day. Kubitza and Livingstone led the team with a pair of hits each. On the day, the Bobcats finished with four errors to the Lions one.

Colon (4-3) tossed 4.1 innings of work and allowed seven runs, four of which were earned, on five hits. The junior walked four and fanned four batters in the loss.

Texas State's next game will be Wednesday, April 21 at Bobcat Field when the team hosts Baylor. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. against the Bears.