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Austin, Texas – Junior Mitchell Pitts took the mound for the team's elimination game on Saturday against Princeton and delivered a strong performance in leading the Bobcats to a 3-1 victory over the Tigers. Texas State remains alive in the double-elimination Austin Regional played at UFCU Disch-Falk Field and will take on the loser of the Texas/Kent State game, which will be played tonight at 6:30 p.m., tomorrow at 1 p.m.
The Bobcats won their first NCAA Regional game since 2000 when they defeated Baylor 6-0 to open the Waco Regional. The victory was also the 41st of the season for the Bobcats (41-22), which ties the Texas State single-season record for wins set in 2009.
Pitts (6-3) won for the sixth time this season after pitching 7 1/3 innings while allowing just one run. He struck out four and limited the Tigers to just six hits for the game while lowering his season ERA to 3.66.
Joseph Dvorsky came in to pitch the final 1 2/3 innings for the Bobcats, earning his seventh save of the season to put him in a tie for third for the most saves in a season at Texas State.
Princeton, which earned the NCAA Regional bid after winning the Ivy League, finished its 2011 season one game under .500 at 23-24.
Texas State manufactured the first run of the game in the in the top of the fourth inning after Casey Kalenkosky led off the frame with his team-leading 17th double of the season to the cap in left-center field. The first baseman moved to third base on a wild pitch and took home when Andrew Stumph flew out to center field for his sixth sacrifice fly of the season, giving the Bobcats a 1-0 advantage.
The Bobcats had an opportunity to extend their lead in the next inning after loading the bases with no outs, but the Tigers induced a double-play ground ball followed by a line drive out to escape the inning without allowing a run.
In the eighth inning, two more sacrifice flies helped for the Bobcats made the score 3-0 in favor of Texas State. Christian Gallegos and Tyler Sibley led off the inning with consecutive singles and both eventually came around to score as Bret Atwood and Kyle Kubitza both hit sacrifice flies to add a pair of runs.
Princeton had a pair of one-out hits in the eighth to chase Pitts from the game, but Dvorsky was able to come in and limit the damage to one run as the Bobcats held on for the 3-1 win.
Kalenkosky led the Bobcats at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance with a run scored. Gallegos (2-for-3) also had a pair of hits on the afternoon with a run scored.
Texas State will wait on the loser of the Princeton/Kent State game tonight to find out its Sunday afternoon opponent. If the Bobcats are victorious in their 1 p.m. game on Sunday, then they will move on to play at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday night.
Head Coach Ty Harrington
Opening statement: I thought it was really well pitched ball game. I thought both teams did what they had to do off the mound. I thought that Mitchell Pitts, and my history with Mitchell is now three years, and each time in big moments that we have ever given him the baseball, he has really responded in a positive way. He is a really courageous pitcher, and his stuff is what you see. When he has to make big pitches he does. And in big moments he's always stepped up and performed at a really high level. A lot of it has to do with his abilities, the majority has to do with his guts, courage, and I thought that he did a great job. I thought that their pitcher [Mike Ford] was extremely good today. I haven't seen a pitcher lately maneuver the bottom half of the strike zone with fastball command like he did. I thought he was very poised for a freshman. I thought that we had a chance with the bases loaded at one time, with Tyler Sibley up who hit into a double play and then Bret Atwood flew out to left field. That could have broken a lot of people's spirits at that point at time. I thought two things at the end, Devo [Joseph Dvorsky] was really good, and then the catch by [Morgan] Mickan I thought was huge for us at the end.
On the fundamental play of his players: I thought that our bunt game was good today. Our hit-run game was good today. Sometimes, you can't just sit there and play the game out and wait 27 outs in this ball park and take swings at it. I thought [Tyler] Sibley's bunt that he laid down in the eighth was extremely good. And defensively you are correct, we made some great plays.
Junior P Mitchell Pitts
On staying alive in the tournament: We are a team that has faced defeats before. Especially in the conference tournament, we lost the first game and then came back and won the entire thing. We kind of enjoy doing that kind of thing. It really doesn't faze us. All we have to do is wait for the next moment.
Sophomore SS Christian Gallegos
On the win: A win always helps, otherwise we wouldn't be here. We are just playing one pitch at a time, and play with each other, and we are glad to be here.
