May 15, 2010
Final Stats
Thibodaux, La. - A game that started on errors ended in calamity Saturday afternoon as the Texas State baseball team dropped a 7-3 decision to Nicholls at Ray E. Didier Field. With the loss, Texas State fell to 31-18 overall and 21-8 in Southland Conference play, while Nicholls improved to 23-26 and 12-17, respectively.
Sunday's rubbermatch and series finale is set for 1 p.m.
After an unearned run crossed in the bottom of the first, Texas State was forced to play catch up. A sacrifice fly by Kyle Livingstone in the top of the third plated Laurn Randell, who reached on a walk, to tie the game, but in the bottom half of the frame, NSU came right back and scored two to take a 3-1 lead.
The Bobcats had a chance to tie the game in the top of the fifth when Clint Vest put a base hit into left field and Tyler Sibley was hit by a pitch to put runners in scoring position. A groundout shifted the pair, but Dempster picked up his sixth strikeout of the game, fanning Livingstone to maintain NSU's lead.
It wasn't until the top of the seventh that Texas State managed to break out of three innings of silence. The Colonel infield unraveled and a pair of booted balls to open the frame had the Bobcats on first and second. Dempster issued a walk to load the bases and a fielder's choice by Bret Atwood sent Texas State's first run across. The NSU hurler tossed a wild pitch shortly thereafter to tie the game.
Nicholls threatened in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of base hits and walk to fill the diamond, but Bobcat reliever Jeff McVaney got Beau Faulk to ground out to third base and ward off any runs.
Texas State couldn't break the tie in the top of the eighth, and before heading into the bottom half, the two teams sat out 17 minutes of a rain delay. Once the game resumed, it did not turn out in the Bobcats favor.
On two outs, Nicholls had runners on first and second from a walk and base hit. Fielding Pittman, who took over for McVaney in the top of the inning, was relieved by Garret Carruth. The senior, who entered the game with just nine walks on the season, tossed a pair, back-to-back, to walk in the winning run. One hit batsmen and another walk extended Nicholls' lead to 6-3 and freshman Travis Ballew was called in to relieve Carruth.
Ballew struck up Beau Faulk in what would have been the final out of the frame, but the wild pitch sailed awry to allow the final run to cross the plate.
Drew Erwin (2-0) retired Texas State in the top of the ninth to pick up the win. Dempster, who tossed seven innings in the no decision, held the Bobcats to two hits and one earned run, while recording eight strikeouts.
Carruth (4-3) was charged with the loss. Bobcat starter Michael Russo went 6.1 innings, scattering seven hits and allowed three runs, two of which were earned while fanning four batters.
