Box Score

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Texas State used 13 hits and 10 runs with just one error to blow out New Mexico State, 10-3, on a windy night in Las Cruces, N.M. Saturday. Scott Grist pitched a great game, only giving up six hits, three runs, one walk and striking seven out. Three hits and all three runs didn't come until the seventh inning. Meanwhile, Garrett Mattlage and Nick Smelser paced Texas State offensively with a combined 7-for-10 hitting performance, two RBI and three runs scored to pull the Bobcats even in the Western Athletic Conference, 1-1, and improve to 8-14 overall.
 
New Mexico State held a 21-1 advantage on Texas State in home runs coming into the series, but thanks to Kevin Sah, the Bobcats now have a 1-0 edge in the series as he sent one over the right field fence in the sixth inning.
 
All the bats popped for Texas State Saturday as every spot but one in the lineup registered a hit. In addition to Mattlage's two runs, Tyler Pearson and Cory Geisler scored two runs each. Most impressively, the Bobcats did it against New Mexico State's undefeated lefty Ryan Beck. Beck only went 4.1 innings. In fact, Texas State's Grist outlasted five New Mexico State pitchers on the night. Grist also held the WAC's leading hitter, Tanner Rust, to an 0-for-4 performance.
 
Defensively, the Bobcats were on point as well. In the third inning, Morgan Mickan came up with a sliding grab for an out, and in the bottom of the sixth, Ben McElroy made a nice scoop at first. Middle infielders Mattlage and J.D. Stinnett worked hard all night, showing good range.
 
Both defenses played steady throughout the first three scoreless innings, but Texas State broke out in the top of the fourth. Mattlage led off with a single through the left side and moved to second on a ground out. After that, the Bobcats rifled off three consecutive hits.
 
Pearson singled through the right side to score Mattlage from second, and then Smelser sent one to deep right center for a triple, plating Pearson. Freshman Geisler was next to hit as he sent a single up the middle to score Smelser and give the Bobcats a 3-0 lead. Stinnett was the next batter to send one deep. His went to center field for a double to score Geisler.
 
Texas State wasn't done yet. Sah reached on an error by the shortstop next, moving Stinnett to third. With runners at the corners, the Bobcats pulled off the double steal to score Stinnett and take a 5-0 lead before New Mexico State could end the inning on a pop up.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Grist only allowed one hit to keep the Aggies from responding to the five-run inning the Bobcats just put on them.
 
Mattlage scored another run thanks to Smelser in the top of the fifth inning. He led off with a single to shallow centerfield and moved to second when Austin O'Neal sent a ball to the NMSU second baseman that he couldn't handle. With runners at first and second, Smelser launched a hit off the right field fence to bring in Mattlage and move O'Neal to third, pushing the TXST lead to 6-0.
 
With that, the Bobcats forced New Mexico State to sit previously unbeaten lefty Ryan Beck after just 4.1 innings. Beck gave up eight hits, six runs, four earned as he struck out five.
 
Texas State kept the momentum with a Sah home run, his first of the season and the team's second, over the right field fence in the sixth inning for a 7-0 Bobcat lead. An inning later, Texas State added three more runs. Pearson and Geisler both earned walks, and Mickan singled up the middle to score Pearson. Sah loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch.
 
With the bases juiced, New Mexico State moved to another pitcher. It didn't matter for Cody Lovejoy. He singled to left field to score Geisler and Mickan and push the lead to 10-0.
 
New Mexico State finally put runs on the board in the seventh inning, doubling the team's hit total to that point. The Aggies knocked three hits, one of which was a triple, en route to three runs in the inning. Neither team scored after that as Texas State brought in the duo of Donnie Hart and Hunter Lemke to shut the Aggies down in the last two innings.
 
Texas State will face New Mexico State in the tiebreaker and final game of the weekend series at 2:05 p.m. CST Sunday. Kyle Finnegan will take the mound for Texas State while righty Michael Ormseth will start for the Aggies.