Box Score

SAN MARCOS, Texas – In the seventh extra-inning game of the season and third in the past three weekends, Texas State persevered to pick up a Western Athletic Conference victory over Dallas Baptist, 7-6, in the 15^th inning off the bat of freshman Matt Smith. After falling behind in the top of the inning, Ben McElroy tied the game with an RBI double to the right center gap, and Smith knocked one up the middle with bases loaded three batters later to win it.
 
For Smith, who only had two at bats in the game, it was his second well hit ball of the night. In his first at bat in the 12^th inning, he hit the ball to shallow left field for what was nearly a hit until DBU left fielder Austin Listi raced to make a game-saving diving catch. After a walk in the 14^th, Smith put the Bobcats on top in the 15^th.
 
Though Smith notched the winning RBI, the Bobcats received contributions throughout the team Thursday night. For instance, Garrett Mattlage was 4-for-7 with two runs and an RBI on a solo home run in Texas State's big fifth inning to change the game.
 
Down, 5-2, Mattlage sparked the Bobcats with a home run over the right field fence, his second of the season. After that, Cody Lovejoy earned a walk, and Andrew Stumph knocked a four-bagger, also his second of the year, to tie the game, 5-5. The his second and third RBI of the night moved Stumph into third place all-time in RBI for Texas State.
 
Before that point, it was an inauspicious beginning for Texas State, tallying two errors in the second and one in the third. But the Bobcats cleaned it up, and took advantage of late miscues from the Patriots.
 
Dallas Baptist committed all three errors in extra innings while DBU pitchers hit five batters, including one in the deciding 15^th inning.
 
Texas State gave up an unearned run in the top of the second, but bounced back in the bottom of the inning. Austin O'Neal earned a walk and scored two batters later after back-to-back singles from Colby Targun and Tyler Pearson to tie it, 1-1.
 
Dallas Baptist used three hits, including a two-run homer, to score three runs in the second inning and go up, 4-1, but the Bobcats responded with one run in the bottom of the inning. Mattlage singled and went to third on a Lovejoy double. Stumph notched his first of three RBI with a sacrifice fly to score Mattlage.
 
After the Patriots scored another run in the fifth, the Bobcats put up their huge inning, scoring three runs on the homers from Mattlage and Stumph to tie it 5-5. From there, both defenses and pitching stepped up as Texas State only tallied one hit until extra innings and DBU just two.
 
In the top of the ninth, Donnie Hart shut down Dallas Baptist with two strikeouts and a groundout to Mattlage. The Bobcats almost took the game in the bottom of the inning, moving Kevin Sah all the way to third base. He did not score, but in the sixth inning, he stole his WAC-leading 25^th base to put him second all-time for most stolen bases in a season behind Jack Wickersham, who stole 31 in 1998.
 
McElroy made it to third in the 10^th inning, leading off with a single. The Bobcats sacrificed him to second and he moved to third base on an error, but a strikeout left him stranded. Texas State had two more opportunities thwarted, putting Mattlage on third in the 13^th inning and Pearson on third in the 14^th.
 
Dallas Baptist's best opportunity came in the 12^th when Listi led with a double. He took third on a wild pitch but couldn't score. Then, in the top of the 15^th, first baseman Chane Lynch led with a single, and the Patriots sacrificed him to second. He took third on a wild pitch and scored the go ahead run on a sacrifice fly. The Bobcats, however, came storming back in the bottom of the inning, scoring with only one out in the inning.
 
While Dallas Baptist used six pitchers, the Bobcats played four: starter Lucas Humpal, Scott Grist, Hart and Hunter Lemke. Hart and Lemke combined for seven innings after Humpal and Grist pitched the first eight. The Texas State foursome struck out nine batters. Meanwhile, the Bobcat lineup struck for 17 hits en route to the win.
 
The two teams will renew the series at 4 p.m. Friday before the finale at 12 p.m. Saturday. Texas State will recognize the Bobcat seniors before the game Saturday.