Box Score SAN MARCOS – Texas State trailed early against Georgia State Saturday, but
Austin O'Neal changed the game with one swing of the bat in the sixth inning, knocking the first grand slam of his career to put the Bobcats on top, 4-2, and improve the team's record to 21-17 on the season and 10-7 in Sun Belt Conference action. The Bobcats hold a 2-0 advantage on Georgia State in the series.
Georgia State took the lead in the third inning with one run, then added another in the top of the sixth. After trailing for three innings, the Bobcats did all their damage with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.
Cory Geisler earned a walk followed by a hit from
Ben McElroy, one of his team-high three on the day.
Tyler Pearson loaded the bases with a hit by pitch, and then O'Neal walked up to the plate, pinch hitting for
Tanner Hill. He sent a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence for Texas State's third grand slam of the season and O'Neal's first homer of the year, putting the Cats up 4-2, the eventual final score.
McElroy led the squad on the day, going 3-for-4, and
Garrett Mattlage finished 2-for-4.
Colby Targun, Geisler, Hill and
Trey Hicks all tallied a hit in addition to O'Neal for a total of 10 on the day for Texas State. Geisler and Targun improved their hitting streaks to seven and six games respectively while Targun and McElroy improved to 12 games and eight games consecutive in which they've reached base.
In addition to Texas State's success at the plate, the pitching staff had a good day.
Taylor Black picked up his third win of the season after striking five out and only giving up six hits, two walks and two runs.
Dylan Bein pitched two innings of hitless baseball while striking a Panther out, and then
Hunter Lemke bounced back with his seventh save of the season. That gives him 15 for his career, tying him with Jeff McVaney for the most career saves by a Bobcat.
The pitching staff and Texas State defense again held one of the most powerful offenses in the Sun Belt Conference in check with just six hits and two runs on the day. Friday the Bobcats only allowed five hits and one run.
This time, Georgia State was first on the board. After David Levy earned a walk and GSU pushed him to second on a sacrifice bunt, Chase Raffield, the SBC's leading RBI-hitter, knocked Levy in with a two-out double for the early GSU 1-0 lead.
Georgia State pushed it to a two-run lead in the top of the sixth. Nic Wilson led off with a slow-rolling hit. He worked his way over to third on an error and a fielder's choice and scored on a Joey Roach single. That was Roach's second RBI of the series, knocking one in the series opener on Friday. In the bottom of the sixth though, O'Neal made his fateful swing to seal Georgia State's fate.
The Bobcats and Panthers will conclude the series with a 1 p.m. finale on Easter Sunday. After that, Texas State will play a home-and-home series with Baylor. The Bears and Bobcats will square off in Waco at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday and then play each other at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday at Bobcat Ballpark, a game which will be televised locally on KBVO and nationally on ESPN3.
