Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Texas State and UTSA teamed up to put a classic in the I-35 Rivalry storybooks, playing to 11 innings. On the arm of Hunter Lemke and his seven strikeouts through the final four innings, Texas State came out on top, 13-8, Saturday to improve to 12-8 in the Western Athletic Conference.
 
Texas State had a 5-3 lead in the sixth inning, but UTSA tied it up with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Then both teams scored three runs apiece in the eighth and went scoreless in the ninth to force extra innings until Texas State exploded for five 11^th inning runs for the win.
 
Lemke entered the game in the eighth inning and started mowing the Roadrunners down. Once he settled in, the closer struck out five consecutive batters and retired 10 consecutive batters faced, seven by strikeout. He didn't give up a hit to give his offense a chance to win it.
 
In the 11^th, the Bobcat lineup stepped up big. Kevin Sah led the inning with a walk and Mattlage sacrifice bunted him to second. Then the Roadrunners chose to intentionally walk Cody Lovejoy, hoping for a double play ball from Andrew Stumph. He didn't cooperate.
 
Stumph knocked a deep single off the left center wall to score Sah from second and push Lovejoy to third. After that, with an open base, UTSA chose to intentionally walk Ben McElroy to load the bases yet again. This time, Smelser came through with a single to shallow right field to score another Bobcat. Mickan grounded out next, but another TXST run scored. Then, already leading 11-8, Targun poked a single through the right side to score two more runs and push the lead to 13-8.
 
To start the bottom of the 11^th, Sah had to make a jumping catch at the wall for the first out. That was all the Texas State defense had to do as Lemke did the rest. He struck out the last two batters to pick up his first win of the season.
 
The story of the game took place in the extra innings, but there was great baseball to get the teams to the ninth tied. Morgan Mickan and Nick Smelser both hit their second home runs of their careers. Four Bobcats finished with multiple hits while three Roadrunners achieved the feat.
 
The scoring didn't start until the third inning when Matt Smith sent a scorcher down the left line. After two outs, Garrett Mattlage was able to bring him in with a single through the left side for an early 1-0 lead. The Roadrunners were able to answer in the bottom of the inning, though, scoring two runs. UTSA knocked three consecutive singles for the first run and pulled ahead when UTSA leadoff hitter Riley Good scored on an R.J. Perucki double play to put the Roadrunners up, 2-1.
 
Texas State answered with a three-spot in the fourth. Austin O'Neal sent a deep double to the right field fence, and Smelser walked. Next, Mickan did something he doesn't do very often. The senior went deep over the right field fence for the second home run of his career and the season to put the Bobcats up, 4-2.
 
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Texas State committed three errors at third base, leading to an unearned run for the Roadrunners to close the TXST lead to 4-3. The Bobcats earned the run back though with Smelser's first homer of the season, a solo shot, to lead off the sixth.
 
UTSA struck back in the bottom of the inning, tying the game at 5-5. With one out, the Roadrunners used a hit by pitch, a single and a walk to load the bases. UTSA centerfielder Daniel Rockett hit an RBI single to shallow right field to pull the Roadrunners within one, and Perucki followed with a sacrifice fly to make it a new game, tied, 5-5.
 
After a scoreless seventh, Texas State was able to score a run with two outs in the eighth. Colby Targun started the late rally with a two-out infield single that he legged out, diving for first. Tyler Pearson walked behind him, and then it was up to Sah, who was 0-for-4 at the time. He sent one down the right line that the UTSA first baseman couldn't handle. As the ball rolled into right field, Targun rounded third and scored to put Texas State up, 6-5.
 
With Sah at second and Pearson at third, Mattlage kept it going with a single through the right side to score both base runners and give Texas State a three-run lead, 8-5. Unfortunately, UTSA was able to respond in the bottom of the inning.
 
The Roadrunners used two singles and a walk to load the bases with no outs, and then Rockett improved to 3-for-5 on the day with a single through the left side to score two runners and pull UTSA within one, 8-7. The Roadrunners used a sacrifice bunt to move runners to second and third, then Texas State intentionally walked Mike Warren to load the bases.
 
Lemke cued up a prime double play ball for UTSA catcher John Bormann, but the Bobcats could only get the runner headed to second base. Bormann legged out the fielder's choice at first and UTSA tied the game on the play.
 
From there, it was all defensive play with Lemke and the Texas State defense winning out. Texas State and UTSA will play the final game of the weekend series at 1 p.m. Sunday with Mitchell Pitts taking the mound for the Bobcats.