Box Score

ARLINGTON, Texas – Texas State and UT Arlington showed fans why they are two of the best in the Western Athletic Conference with an up and down 14-inning game Saturday. Texas State's Tyler Pearson hit an 11^th inning home run to put the Bobcats ahead, but UTA answered in the bottom of the inning to tie. In the 14^th, the Mavericks were able to win it, 6-5, with a Darien McLemore single to score Greg McCall from third to tie both teams for second in the conference yet again.
 
Both teams threatened to score in the first three innings but neither team could get someone across home plate until the fourth. UT Arlington capitalized on two errors to score two runs in the fourth and used another error to score in the fifth inning for a 3-0 lead.
 
The Bobcats answered when Garrett Mattlage and Ben McElroy knocked back-to-back two-out doubles to put the Bobcats on the board, 3-1.
 
Andrew Stumph came through in a huge way in the seventh inning. Tyler Pearson was hit by a pitch, and Kevin Sah walked. Cody Lovejoy was hit by a pitch next to load the bases for Stumph. With two outs, runners were set to go on anything, and they took off on a single to shallow centerfield. The UTA centerfielder tried to make a diving catch, but couldn't corral the ball. All three runners scored on the play to put the Bobcats up, 4-3.
 
The Mavericks were able to respond in the bottom of the eighth when the inning's leadoff hitter Travis Sibley singled up the middle. UT Arlington sacrificed him to second base, and he took third on a wild pitch. Derek Miller scored Sibley with another hit up the middle to tie the game, 4-4.
 
Neither team could break the tie until the 11^th inning when Pearson knocked his first home run of the season, a solo shot to put the Bobcats up, 5-4. But the Mavs answered with a tying run to stay alive in the bottom of the inning. Leadoff hitter Ryan Walker singled and Miller sacrifice bunted him to second. Walker scored two batters later when Greg McCall sent a hit into centerfield to tie it up again.
 
Both teams went two more scoreless innings before UT Arlington was able to win it in the 14^th. First, Texas State threatened in the top of the inning, loading the bases with just one out. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, they couldn't capitalize on the opportunity, finishing the top half of the inning with a strikeout and a flyout.
 
McCall came up big for the Mavericks with a leadoff single through the right side to start the bottom of the 14th. Centerfielder Brandon Lawrence sacrifice bunted him to second, and he went to third on a groundout two batters later. Darien McLemore, who was 1-for-6 to that point in the game, singled to shallow left field to plate the winning run and once again draw even with Texas State in the conference standings.
 
Mattlage led the Bobcats offensively with a 3-for-6 performance while Lovejoy, McElroy and Smelser had two hits each. Taylor Black went 4.1 innings for Texas State, giving up seven hits, three runs, only one of which was earned, and four walks. He struck out two. Donnie Hart took over in the eighth and struck out five while only giving up two hits. He did give up one run. Hunter Lemke finished the game, giving up five hits, two runs and one walk while striking out one batter in 3.2 innings.
 
Texas State's Mitchell Pitts will look to put the Bobcats back ahead in Sunday's game with a scheduled first pitch at 1 p.m.