May 9, 2010

Final Stats

Lake Charles, Louisiana - Sophomore Mitchell Pitts earned his fifth win of the season Sunday afternoon at Cowboy Diamond after tossing seven complete innings and holding McNeese State to just one run off four hits while striking out four in No. 29 Texas State's 6-3 victory over the foe to take the series win.

The Bobcats improved to 30-17 overall and 20-7 in Southland Conference action with its eighth league series of the season. Texas State holds a game-and-a-half lead over Stephen F. Austin (32-13, 18-8 SLC) in the league standings for first place.

Pitts and Tyler Davis starting in a pitcher's duel Sunday afternoon, but Texas State broke down the foe's wall in the fourth inning with an RBI base hit from Kyle Kubitza. The Bobcats went down in order in the fifth, but came right back at McNeese in the sixth. Kyle Livingstone leadoff the frame with a double down the left line and two outs later, Andrew Stumph brought him home on the a deep single into centerfield. Stumph tried to stretch the hit into extra bases, but was thrown out heading to second to end the inning.

A McNeese error in the seventh allowed Texas State to score three in the inning, two of which were unearned, and Clint Vest knocked in the final Bobcat run with an RBI base hit into right in the eighth.

After allowing just one runner to reach second base through six innings, Pitts surrendered his only run of the afternoon in the seventh. Steven Irvine hit a one-out double to left field and a base hit into centerfield from Seth Granger brought him home.

Jeff McVaney relieved Pitts in the eighth and struck out his first two batters faced before retiring the side in order. Garret Carruth closed out the ninth with a pair of strikeouts. The senior allowed two runs off two hits with a walk in the frame.

Texas State recorded 13 hits in the win, led by Livingstone's and Vest's three-hit afternoon. McNeese's Irvine recorded the only multi-hit day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Davis took the loss for the Cowboys and fell to 3-5 on the season.

Texas State will return to the field Wednesday night when they host No. 4 TCU at Bobcat Field. This will mark the second meeting between the two teams this season. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.