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Conway, Ark. – The Texas State baseball team went to extra innings against Central Arkansas on Saturday afternoon but could not pull out the victory as the Bears defeated the Bobcats, 6-5, in 11 innings.

Junior Kyle Kubitza did all he could at the plate to help the Bobcats put runs on the scoreboard, finishing the game 3-for-5 with a home run and all five of the team's RBIs. The third baseman was about three feet away from a second home run in the top of the ninth inning when his shot to center field was caught at the wall to keep the game tied at 5-5.

After nine innings was not enough to decide the outcome, the Bobcats put a runner in second base in the 10^th but could not plate the run to take the lead.

In the bottom of the 11^th, Central Arkansas began the inning with back-to-back infield singles off reliever Jeff McVaney before an errant throw on a pickoff attempt allowed the runner to get to third. Jonathan Houston then came up for the Bears and singled to center field to bring home the game-winning run.

McVaney (1-1) was charged with the loss despite not allowing an earned run in three innings on the mound. He struck out two and did not allow a walk after coming in relief.

UCA's Evan Cox (2-4) earned his second win of the season after throwing three scoreless innings of relief. He allowed just one hit and struck out four.

Despite the loss, Texas State (20-10) remains atop the Southland Conference standings with an 11-3 record in the league. Central Arkansas improved to 15-17 overall and 5-9 in the SLC with the win.

Texas State got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning thanks in part to an error by the Bears. With one down in the inning, Bret Atwood reached after the UCA third baseman overthrew the first baseman and advanced to second on a groundout. Kubitza came up next and roped a single to right field, allowing Atwood to come home as he slid in just ahead of the tag attempt.

The Bobcats' 1-0 lead would only last an inning as the Bears scored twice in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead and chase Texas State starter Lee Colon from the game. Fielding Pittman came into a bases loaded, one-out situation in the bottom of the second but needed just one pitch to induce a double-play ground ball to escape the inning without further damage.

Kubitza helped put the Bobcats ahead for the second time in the game in the top of the fifth inning with a two-RBI triple off the wall in right-center field. With two outs and runners on first and second, Kubitza hit the first pitch he saw from UCA starter Ryan Angus for his fourth triple of the season and second and third RBIs of the game.

Central Arkansas answered in its half of the fifth inning with three runs, all unearned, after the Bobcats began the inning with an error that led to a trio of UCA runs and a 5-3 lead.

That score would remain until the top of the seven inning when Kubitza knocked in runs four and five of the game for Texas State after he lofted a 3-2 pitch over the fence in left-center field for a two-run home run to tie the game at 5-5. The homer was Kubitza's third of the season.

Bobcat relievers Tyler King, Joseph Dvorsky and McVaney combined to keep the Bears off the scoreboard from the fifth to 10^th innings. King pitched two-thirds of an inning, and Dvorsky came in for 1 2/3 innings before McVaney tossed three scoreless innings prior to UCA's run in the bottom of the 11^th inning.