Box Score | Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Notes
Austin, Texas – After coming back to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning, the Bobcats had their regional championship aspirations dashed Sunday afternoon when No. 5 Texas answered with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to eliminate Texas State from the Austin Regional by a 4-3 score.
The loss ended the Bobcats' 2011 season as the team posted a 41-23 record and won both the Southland Conference regular season and tournament championships. Texas State made its fifth NCAA Regional appearance in the program's history this season and won its first regional game since 2000. The Bobcats 41 wins this season ties a program record set in 2009.
Texas (45-16) advanced in the double-elimination regional to play Kent State on Sunday night.
A home run from junior Kyle Kubitza put the Bobcats in the lead early, but the Longhorns came back to score three runs over a two-inning span to take the lead. Texas State then tied the game in the top of the ninth after Bret Atwood led off the frame with a single and moved all the way to third base after a throwing error by the Texas catcher on Atwood's stolen base attempt. The stolen base was Atwood's team-leading 21st of the season and also gave him 49 for his career, a new Texas State record. Two batters later, Kubitza lined a shot to right field that was deep enough to allow Atwood to score the tying run and make it 3-3.
In the bottom of the ninth, Texas led off the inning with a bunt single before a sacrifice bunt moved the runner into scoring position. An intentional walk put runners on first and second, and then, head coach Ty Harrington went to the bullpen and brought in junior all-American Carson Smith for just his second appearance out of the bullpen this season to try and get out of the one-out jam. But a walk loaded the bases and set the stage for Kevin Lusson to hit a walk-off single over the head of Jeff McVaney in right field for the game winner.
McVaney (1-3) who pitched the seventh, eighth and one-third of the ninth innings, was charged with the loss despite a solid outing on the mound. He struck out three and allowed just one run in 2 1/3 innings.
Colton Turner made the start for Texas State on Sunday and worked out of trouble on several occasions as he limited the Longhorns to just two runs over 5 1/3 innings on the mound. The sophomore lefty struck out two and did not issue a walk before being lifted in the sixth inning.
The Longhorns threatened to take an early lead in the second inning after putting a runner on second base with one out, but Turner induced a lazy pop-up to right field for the second out before Morgan Mickan made a highlight-reel diving catch in left-center field to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.
Kubitza would change that in top of the fourth inning when he blasted his 10th home run of the season high over the wall in right field to stake the Bobcats to a two-run lead. Atwood led off the inning with a single to center field before stealing his first base of the game to get into scoring position. Two batters later, Kubitza hit a 2-0 pitch out of UFCU Disch-Falk Field for his 27th career homer to give the team the lead, 2-0.
Texas came back with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to make the score 2-1 before adding a pair in the sixth inning to move in front, 3-2, on an RBI single and a passed ball that allowed the go-ahead run to score from third and set up the dramatic ninth inning.
Atwood had a fitting finally for his Bobcat career as he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in his final collegiate game. With the pair of hits, Atwood finished his career with a Texas State record 259. He also put the final touches on his Texas State records of 213 games played and 49 stolen bases. The center fielder is also now second in career runs scored at Texas State with 171.
Andrew Stumph (2-for-4) and Kubitza (1-for-3) had the other three hits on the afternoon for the Bobcats, who were held to just five hits for the game.
Atwood, along with fellow seniors Brian Borski, Lee Colon, Joseph Dvorsky, Jim McGonigle, Fielding Pittman and Clint Vest all wrapped up their Bobcat careers Sunday afternoon as they helped guide Texas State to 41 wins this season.
Head Coach Ty Harrington
Opening Statement: I thought it was a great college baseball game. I thought we had a good enough performance from Colton Turner pitching wise. I thought we played good enough defense to put ourselves in position to try to win a game. I thought both teams were playing at a very high level in a very demanding game. Each emotion on each pitch was played by every team today, I assure you that. Both teams were battling for an opportunity to continue to play, and I thought that it was a tremendous game. I thought we had good relief down the stretch. We had some big hits against arguably the best pitching staff in the country. I thought we had great at-bats. We had some balls that we barreled up, and that we had decent at-bats against. Then in the ninth inning, we're down one run and we're staring down the barrel of going home. Then Bret [Atwood] leads off with a hit. We roll the dice and run and it pays off. Kyle Kubitza then came up and did what he has done unbelievably all year, and that is drive in runners from third with sac flies. And so a couple feet one way or another, the ball he hit is a double. It is a crazy game, and that is kind of the way the game is sometimes. You put yourself in a position to square up some baseballs and Kyle did. I was very pleased with our effort. I want to make that very clear. Whether we should have, could have or would have, I don't know, but I was very pleased with our effort.
On when the game turned: When they scored the run in the ninth inning. It was two good baseball teams punching each other in the gut all day long.
On if Carson Smith was too tired to pitch: We did our homework on him, and he felt great.
Senior OF Bret Atwood
On who he preferred to play today: Either team, we were cheering for extra innings. It didn't really matter who we were going to play. We knew we needed to beat both of them if we wanted to win the Regional, which we planned on doing. But extra innings would have been great for the pitching.
On getting the early lead: We knew we had to jump on them early. Cole Green is a great pitcher, and we knew we had to jump on them early to have a chance of winning. Kyle [Kubitza] made a great swing on it.
Junior 3B Kyle Kubitza
On the home run: I was up 2-0, and with runners in scoring position the past year and this weekend, they wouldn't give me a fastball when I'm up in the count. I was just looking for something middle-in and hoping he would leave something up, and he left his changeup up a little bit, and I got a hold of it.
On if he knew the changeup was coming: I don't think so. I think I did a good job sitting back on it. But the at-bat before that, he got me out on the changeup that I grounded out. I think he got it up a little bit, and I got lucky and turned it around.
