Box Score

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San Marcos, Texas – Carson Smith backed his most recent Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week award with another standout performance on Friday night at Bobcat Ballpark as Texas State defeated visiting Stephen F. Austin, 10-3, to take sole possession of first place in the Southland Conference.

Smith went seven innings without allowing an earned run and limiting the Lumberjacks to just four hits. The junior for Midland, Texas improved to 4-1 and lowered his season ERA to 1.29 after striking out nine batters on Friday night. It was the second consecutive start that Smith has not allowed an earned run.

Lumberjacks starter Tyler Herriage was charged with the loss after giving up six runs (four earned) over 4 1/3 innings. The Bobcats connected with nine hits off the senior as he fell to 1-3 overall this season.

With the win, Texas State improved to 18-7 overall and 9-1 in the Southland conference, one game ahead of Stephen F. Austin (19-8, 8-2 SLC).

Junior Jeff McVaney had his second four-hit game of the season as he finished 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Isaac Nuti also had a multi-hit for the Bobcats, going 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs. As a team, the Bobcats finished the game with 12 hits to go along with their 10 runs.

The Lumberjacks jumped on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning thanks to an unearned run before the Bobcats matched the visitors with an unearned run of their own. In the Texas State half of the inning, Kyle Kubitza and McVaney both singled to put a pair of runners on with two outs. Andrew Stumph then hit a sharp grounder that bounced off the SFA shortstop's glove, allowing Kubitza to come home and tie the game at 1-1.

The Bobcats took the lead in the bottom of the third when Casey Kalenkosky hit a 3-1 pitch high over the wall in left field for a 2-1 Texas State lead, snapping Stephen F. Austin's streak of 155 innings without allowing a home run in the process.

Smith rolled through the middle innings as he kept the Lumberjacks off the scoreboard, striking out six of seven batters in a stretch from the fourth through sixth innings.

Texas State's offense provided some run security for Smith in the bottom of the fifth inning when Sibley started the inning off with a single before moving to second base on an error and third base on his 11^th stolen base of the season. Kalenkosky walked and McVaney singled to center to bring home Sibley for a 3-1 Bobcat lead. Stumph and Isaac Nuti each followed with singles to put three more runs on the scoreboard for a 6-1 advantage after five innings.

The Lumberjacks added their second unearned run of the game in the top of the seventh before Fielding Pittman came in to sit down the visitors in order in the eighth inning.

In the bottom half of the eighth, Texas State manufactured a pair of runs on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch to give the team an 8-2 lead, and Nuti came through with a two-out, two-RBI single to make the count 10-2.

Stephen F. Austin loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Pittman was able to hold the Lumberjacks to one run in the inning as the Bobcats took the seven-run victory.