Box Score

Box Score (PDF)

Corpus Christi, Texas – A five-run eighth inning put the Texas State baseball team in front for good as the Bobcats defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 13-7, in game two of the three-game series at Chapman Field on Saturday afternoon. A pair of two-out, two RBI hits from Casey Kalenkosky and Isaac Nuti in the eighth broke a 7-7 tie and propelled the Bobcats to their sixth consecutive victory.

Texas State improved to 8-2 overall and 2-0 in the Southland Conference with the win, while the Islanders fell to 8-4 overall and 0-2 in the SLC.

Mitchell Pitts started for the Bobcats and recorded a career-high nine strikeouts, tossing six and 2/3 innings while allowing six earned runs for the no decision. Tyler King (1-0) earned his first career victory after recording the final out in the bottom of the seventh inning. For the Islanders, Ian Campbell (1-1) took the loss after throwing two relief innings and allowing a pair runs.

Bret Atwood led Texas State offensively with a 5-for-5 day that included three runs scored, an RBI, a walk and a stolen base. It marks the second time in his career that he has recorded five hits in a game. Kyle Kubitza and Kalenkosky each had a pair of hits on the afternoon as well, combining for five of the team's 11 RBIs.

On display Saturday afternoon was the Bobcats' patience at the dish. Texas State batters combined to take nine walks and get hit by one pitch. Combined with the team's 12 hits, the Bobcats had 22 batters reach base in the game.

Just like in Friday's game, the Islanders got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning on an unearned run to take the early lead. After adding another run in the second inning, the Islanders had their lead cut to 2-1 in the top of the third as a wild pitch from starter Justin Meza allowed Bobcat catcher Andrew Stumph to scamper home from third base.

After Pitts needed just four pitches to get through the bottom half of the third, Texas State scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning to give the Bobcats their first lead of the afternoon, 4-2.

In the fourth, a pair of errors put runners on second and third with one out for Tyler Sibley who singled to center, bringing home both runs for a 3-2 Texas State lead. Following an infield single from Bret Atwood that moved Sibley over to third,Kubitza's RBI ground out to second base allowed the Texas State second baseman to score for a 4-2 lead.

Pitts struck out the side in the fourth and the leadoff batter in the fifth, but Texas A&M-Corpus Christi ended his streak of nine straight retired batters with a pair of singles and a double to knot the game at 4-4 after five innings.

A pair of two-out RBI triples by Atwood and Kubitza helped chase Meza from the game as Texas State retook the lead 6-4 in the top of the sixth.

For the second time in the game, Pitts struck out the side in the sixth inning and looked to be in the clear with two outs in the seventh, but one swing from the Islander's Trey Hernandez made it 7-6 in favor of the home team, forcing Pitts from the game.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi would not hold the lead long as Atwood reached base for the fifth time in the game on a single before moving to second base a wild pitch. Kubitza came to the plate next and doubled to right field to score Atwood for the second time in the game and tie it up at 7-7, helping set up hits from Kalenkosky and Nuti that broke the game open.

Texas State added two more runs in the ninth on a double from Jeff McVaney that scored Sibley and Atwood for a six-run Bobcat lead that proved to be the final margin.

Fielding Pittman pitched the final two innings of the game for Texas State, striking out three and helping shrink his season ERA to 1.86.