May 26, 2010
Final Stats
Corpus Christi, Texas -
A struggling start from Texas State became an insurmountable feat late Wednesday afternoon as the Nicholls Colonels held the Bobcats to just four hits and handed the team its first run rule defeat in a 13-2 eight-inning decision in the first round of the Southland Conference tournament at Whataburger Field.
Texas State (34-21) will now play the loser of the 7 p.m. (4) Stephen F. Austin/ (5) UT Arlington decision tomorrow at noon in the double-elimination tournament.
Nicholls (27-27) is now 3-1 against Texas State this season after rapping out 18 hits to take today's decision. However, the foes first two runs to cross the plate came after a two-out error, plating the pair of unearned runs for a 2-0 lead.
Clint Dempster (6-6) maintained for the Colonels on the mound and retired the Bobcats in order in the bottom of the first and a double-play in the second took Texas State's only base runner off the paths.
It wasn't until the bottom of the third when Texas State recorded its first hit of the game, but Nicholls had built a 7-0 lead on a pair of RBI singles in the second and three-run third highlighted by a two-run homer from Chase Jaramillo.
Jeff McVaney and Clint Vest opened the third with back-to-back base hits and two outs later, a walk loaded the bases for Jason Martinson. The junior came through with a rallying base hit driven straight up the middle and Texas State trimmed the lead, 7-2.
That would be all Dempster would allow, as he retired 13 of his next 17 batters faced. The southpaw allowed just four hits, walked four and struck out two in his eight innings of work.
This marked the first time Texas State has been run ruled this season.
Carson Smith suffered the loss for Texas State and fell to 9-4. In his shortest start of the season, the sophomore allowed seven runs, five of which were earned, off nine hits in two innings of work.
Tomorrow's game will be broadcast on 89.9 KTSW FM and can be followed via GameTracker or live stream on www.southland.org.
