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San Antonio, Texas – No. 25 Texas State took an early lead against UTSA on Saturday and held on late as the Bobcats defeated UTSA for the second consecutive day. The Texas State offense pounded out 14 hits and nine runs as the team defeated UTSA 9-7 at Roadrunner Field

Texas State took a two-game lead in the Southland Conference after improving to 30-16 overall and 19-7 in the SLC. UTSA fell to 22-26 overall and 13-13 in the conference with the loss.

Casey Kalenkosky led the Bobcats at the plate with a 3-for-4 day and a run scored. Tyler Sibley (2-for-3) had his team-leading 20^th multi-hit game as he finished with three RBIs and three runs scored from the leadoff spot. Christian Gallegos (2-for-4), Andrew Stumph (2-for-4) and Bret Atwood (2-for-5) also each had multi-hit games for Texas State. Kyle Kubitza (1-for-4) finished with three RBIs and a walk, the 109^th of his career which is one away from tying the Texas State career record of 110.

Travis Ballew (3-1) earned his third win of the season after pitching 2 1/3 innings in relief. He allowed three runs on two hits while striking out four. UTSA starter Taylor Walton (5-5) evened his record on the season after lasting just 1 2/3 innings while allowing six earned runs.

Jeff McVaney came in to pitch the final 1 1/3 innings for his fifth save of the season and second in as many days.

Both teams left a substantial number of runners on the bases Saturday afternoon as UTSA finished the game with 17 runners left on base while the Bobcats stranded 13.

The Texas State offense would begin early on Saturday as Sibley and Atwood led off the game with back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners with no outs. Kubitza then hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field that easily scored Sibley from third to put the Bobcats in front 1-0 after half an inning.

The Bobcats added on in the second inning after Stumph led off the frame with a solid single to left field. Cody Gambill then walked and Cody Perkins put down a textbook sacrifice bunt to move both runners up a base. Gallegos came to the plate next and bunted his way on board with a single that also brought home Stumph for a 2-0 Texas State lead. Sibley then roped a 0-1 pitch down the left field line that allowed both Gambill and Gallegos to score for a 4-0 Bobcat advantage. Kubitza and McVaney each had RBI hits that extended the lead to 6-0, and Kalenkosky then singled to center field for the sixth hit of the inning, chasing Walton from the game after just 1 2/3 innings on the mound.

UTSA cut into their deficit in the bottom of the fourth inning after a pair of high-chopping singles led to a run for a 6-1 score.

But the Bobcats would answer in the top of the fifth inning without the help of a hit to retake a six-run advantage as Sibley hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field that allowed Gambill to come home for a 7-1 Texas State lead.

The Roadrunners loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth, chasing Texas State starter Mitchell Pitts from the game as head coach Ty Harrington brought in Ballew from the bullpen. Ballew was able to limit the damage to two runs as he recorded a pair of strikeouts to help the Bobcats maintain a 7-3 lead.

Gambill would help the Bobcats tack on one more in the sixth inning when he pulled a single into right field for an RBI, scoring Kalenkosky, who walked earlier in the inning, from third.

The home team continued to chip away at their half of the seventh inning, putting three runs on the board to make it an 8-6 ballgame, but Texas State pushed across another run in the top of the ninth on an RBI groundout from Kubitza to extend its lead to 9-6.

Joseph Dvorsky and McVaney combined to close the door on a UTSA comeback as they combined to keep the Roadrunners off the scoreboard over the final two innings.