Box Score

Box Score (PDF)

Corpus Christi, Texas – A dominant pitching performance from Texas State starter Carson Smith led the Bobcats to a 5-3 victory against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday evening at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi.

In the conference opener for both teams, Smith tied his career high with 10 strikeouts over seven innings on the mound. He allowed just four hits and one walk while not allowing an earned run. Smith improved to 1-1 this season in helping the Bobcats win their fifth consecutive game for a 7-2 record overall.

Senior Fielding Pittman pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Bobcats before fellow-senior Joseph Dvorsky was successful in his second save chance of the year.

The Islanders dropped to 8-3 overall and 0-1 in the SLC with the defeat. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi starting pitcher Todd Simko (1-2) was charged with the loss after allowing four earned runs in seven innings.

Offensively, the Bobcats used a true team effort to put five runs on the board with five different players crossing home plate. Junior Tyler Sibley was the lone Bobcat with two hits on the night, finishing 2-for-5 with a run scored. Sophomore Andrew Stumph went 1-for-2 with a walk, run scored and RBI, and senior Bret Atwood and junior Joey Fuda also had RBIs for Texas State.

The Islanders did not need a hit to get on the board in the bottom of the second as they benefitted from a pair of Texas State errors to jump in front 1-0.

It would not take long for the Bobcats to respond as the team put two runs on the scoreboard in the top of the third to take the lead. Stumph started the inning with a walk and went to second on a balk by Simko. Sibley followed with a single to center field that was bobbled by the Islander outfielder, allowing Stumph to come home and tie the game at 1-1. After Sibley swiped third base for his third steal of the season, Atwood singled to left field to bring home the second baseman and give the team a 2-1 lead.

Stumph knocked home the third run of the game in the fourth inning with an RBI single to left field that plated Cory Falvey for a 3-1 Texas State lead.

After the Islanders added an unearned run in the sixth inning, the Bobcats scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to take a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth.

In the final inning, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi had back-to-back one-out hits that helped the Islanders score a run and make the score 5-3 before Dvorsky recorded the final two outs of the game.

The Bobcats and Islanders play game two of the series on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Chapman Field on the campus of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.