Box Score

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State took the series from Western Athletic Conference leader CSU Bakersfield with an impressive 11-5 victory Sunday. The Bobcats used a balanced attack with seven players knocking a hit in the win, including the first home run of the season for Andrew Stumph, the 14^th of his career. The victory pulls Texas State, with a WAC record of 11-7, within just one game of the conference leaders.
 
Kevin Sah led the way with three hits and four RBI in the game, three of which came on a big fourth inning double to take the lead. Garrett Mattlage also finished with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored and two walks. Stumph's solo home run was his only hit of the day, but he finished with three RBI and two runs scored.
 
For the third consecutive game, CSU Bakersfield scored a run in the opening inning, but the Bobcats answered with a first-inning run of their own. Mattlage singled up the middle and went to third on a Cody Lovejoy double to left field. Stumph grounded out to the shortstop next, but the speedy Mattlage scored on the play to tie it up.
 
The Roadrunners followed with two runs in the second and one more in the fourth inning for a 4-1 lead, then Texas State made its move. Stumph led the fourth with a walk, and then, after two pop ups, Tyler Pearson and Morgan Mickan each earned walks to load the bases. After that, J.D. Stinnett took a hit by pitch, one of two on the day, to plate Stumph and pull within two runs.
 
That's when Sah knocked his three-RBI double. It was a pop up that landed just inside fair territory along the left field line. Three CSUB defenders went after the ball, but it found green grass in the middle of the trio. With two outs already in the inning, the runners took off on contact and the high pop up afforded them the time to score for the 5-4 lead.
 
After a scoreless fifth, Texas State was able to score some insurance runs with three in the sixth. CSU Bakersfield added a run in the seventh, but the Bobcats answered with two more in the bottom of the inning.
 
Mickan walked to start the sixth followed by Stinnett's second hit by pitch, then Sah laid a bunt down for a hit. Mattlage's second walk of the day scored one run, then Lovejoy and Stumph knocked back-to-back sacrifice flies for two more run.
 
In the seventh, Nick Smelser led with a walk, and Pearson sacrifice bunted him over to second. Mickan walked too for runners at the corners. The opportunistic Smelser came home on a wild pitch from CSUB's Allen Gwynn. Next to bat was Sah, and he reached base on an infield single, scoring Mickan for a 8-4 advantage in the game.
 
With the game in hand, Texas State wasn't done, as Stumph knocked his homer in the eighth inning to put an exclamation point on the big victory for the Bobcats.
 
Texas State will stay at home for the midweek game, hosting Houston Baptist at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.