Box Score

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Texas State built upon Saturday's win with a 12-7 victory over New Mexico State on Sunday to claim the first series of Western Athletic Conference play and give the team an early jump on conference standings. The Bobcats piled up 17 hits and received great pitching from middle reliever Lucas Humpal to improve to 2-1 in conference play and 9-14 overall.
 
After the Bobcats fell behind, Humpal entered the game and put together four innings of hitless pitching with just one walk and four strikeouts, not giving up a run. Meanwhile, New Mexico State's reliever, Casey Collins gave up five runs, all earned, on five hits with a walk and no strikeouts.
 
Humpal and the Texas State pitching staff received plenty of run support as all but one spot in the lineup tallied a hit with an impressive 4-for-5 performance from senior centerfielder Morgan Mickan. He finished with two RBI and a run scored. Nick Smelser added four RBI on two hits and a walk with two runs scored while both Cody Lovejoy and Kevin Sah finished with three hits apiece.
 
Garrett Mattlage joined Smelser and Mickan as a multiple-RBI hitter, finishing with two RBI on two hits with two runs scored, while Ben McElroy went 1-for-3 with two walks, an RBI and a run.
 
Texas State wasted no time putting runs on the board with two first-inning scores. With two outs, Mattlage started it off with a single through the left side. Lovejoy followed it with an identical hit, then New Mexico State pitcher Michael Ormseth walked McElroy. With the bases loaded, Smelser followed up his two-RBI Saturday night with two more in the first inning. He sent a single through the right side to score Mattlage and Lovejoy, giving Texas State the early 2-0 lead.
 
The Aggies did not stay down long though as Robert Lecount knocked his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot, over the left field fence to end the first inning tied, 2-2.
 
With no outs in the second, Texas State struck again. Mickan led with a single to shallow centerfield and J.D. Stinnett followed with a high bouncer to left field. With runners at first and second, Sah sent a single through the left side, but Quinnton Mack, the left fielder, couldn't handle the grounder. Sah turned on the speed and made it all the way around on the error to put the Bobcats up, 5-2.
 
Mack tried to redeem himself with a run in the bottom of the second. He reached on a walk and stole second. He was able to score on a single by Jory Goldstrom to close the gap to 5-3 headed to the third. New Mexico State had a chance to score more in the inning, but Mickan robbed NMSU shortstop Derek Umphres with a running over the shoulder catch near the wall.
 
The Aggies were able to take the lead in the third after holding Texas State without a run in the top of the inning. New Mexico State loaded the bases without any outs, but the Bobcats turned two on the next play to allow one run. Then the Aggies hit their second home run of the day when Kyle Phillips hit his first home run of the season, a three-run shot, to put New Mexico State up, 7-5 after three innings.
 
After three scoreless inning for the Bobcats and two for the Aggies, Texas State made another move, scoring four runs in the sixth, highlighted by two more RBI from Smelser. Sah led off the inning with a single to the shortstop and moved to second on a groundout. He took third on a throwing error by the pitcher on a failed pickoff attempt.
 
Mattlage singled to shallow left center to plate Sah and pull within one run. Lovejoy singled next to put runners at the corners. McElroy was next to hit an RBI when he singled through the right side to score Mattlage and load the bases. Smelser continued his great day with a double to deep left field to bring in Lovejoy and McElroy.
 
Texas State wasn't done in the big inning. Mickan singled after that to score Smelser and give the Bobcats a 10-7 lead headed to the bottom of the sixth. Texas State kept building the lead with a run in the seventh. For the second consecutive inning, Sah led off with a hit, this time a double. He stole third and scored on a Mattlage groundout to push the lead to 11-7.
 
The Bobcats kept going in the eighth with another run. Smelser reached base on a walk He took second on a wild pitch and scored on a Mickan single to shallow centerfield to make it 12-7 halfway through the eighth inning.
 
Humpal finished the first two outs of the eighth inning when Texas State made the move to the reliable closing duo of Donnie Hart and Hunter Lemke. Hart pitched the last out of the eighth while Lemke shut the Aggies down in the ninth.
 
Texas State returns to Texas but stays on the road for a midweek matchup against Texas in Austin at 6 p.m. Tuesday before returning to San Marcos for a three-game series against WAC opponent Seattle. Those games will be played at Bobcat Ballpark Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m.