Box Score

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State completed a sweep of Louisiana Tech with an impressive 13-6 victory at Bobcat Ballpark Sunday. The Bobcats racked up 14 hits with two homers and a huge fifth inning to push past the Bulldogs and stay in the hunt at the top of the Western Athletic Conference. Texas State improved to 8-4 in conference play.
 
Austin O'Neal knocked his second home run in as many days, this one a three-run shot in the fifth inning to put the Bobcats up for good. Before that, it was Andrew Stumph showing up for a big moment for the third consecutive game. Down two with two runners on, he sent a rocket line drive down the left line to tie the game. The two combined for five hits and seven RBI on the day. They teamed up for 12 RBI and 11 hits for the series.
 
Morgan Mickan and Colby Targun also had multiple hits in the game. In the eighth, Mickan hits his first career home run, and it was a no-doubter that hit the roof of the grounds shed past right center. Kevin Sah, Garrett Mattlage, Cody Lovejoy and J.D. Stinnett all knocked a hit with an RBI, and Nick Smelser picked up a sacrifice fly as the Bobcats poured on the runs.
               
Louisiana Tech was actually the first to strike with a two-run homer in the opening inning. Texas State responded with a run in the second when Stinnett scored O'Neal from third on a hard hit up the middle.
 
The Bulldogs managed another home run, also a two-run knock, in the fourth inning. After the bomb, La Tech used two singles and a Texas State error to work designated hitter Kyle Arnsberg around for another run and a 5-1 lead. At that point, the Bobcats gave the mound to Jeremy Hallonquist, who was strong en route to his first career win. In 3.1 innings of work, he only gave up three hits and one run in 13 batters faced, striking out three.
 
Texas State only needed one inning to strike back, and they chose the fifth. The Bobcats scored eight runs for a commanding 9-5 lead. The bottom of the inning started with two hits by pitches to put Tyler Pearson and Stinnett on base. Sah was next to bat, and battled at the plate for nine pitches. On the final pitch, he struck a double to the right field corner to bring in Pearson. After a Mickan walk, Stinnett scored on Mattlage sacrifice fly to pull the Bobcats within two, 5-3.
 
That's when Stumph sent his liner down the left line to tie the game. Lovejoy followed with a single to put two runners on for O'Neal's three-run bomb. With that, the Bobcats led, 8-5, and never looked back. Targun added another run before the inning was through when he scored on a wild pitch.
 
The Bobcats kept the pressure on in the sixth when Mickan led off with a single. After a groundout, Stumph knocked his first triple since his freshman season and the third of his career to plate Mickan.
 
Louisiana Tech tried to fight back with a run in the seventh, but the Bulldogs would have to face Donnie Hart (0.00 ERA) and Hunter Lemke (2.81 ERA, five saves) in the final two innings. To make it even tougher, the Bobcats added three eight-inning runs. Mickan knocked his homer, and Mattlage followed with a double. After a strikeout, La Tech curiously decided to intentionally walk Lovejoy. O'Neal made them pay with an RBI double and Smelser followed with the sac.
 
Texas State .356 for the weekend with six batters hitting .300 or better. O'Neal led the way with a weekend average of .667 and a slugging percentage of 1.444.
 
The Bobcats will look to keep momentum rolling in the midweek game when they host Baylor Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and then the Bobcats will head back to California for a conference series against San Jose State over the weekend.