SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State used impressive pitching and timely hitting to sweep UL Monroe for a 2-0 start in Sun Belt Conference play and an 11-4 overall record. Lucas Humpal tallied five strikeouts to no walks in a complete game while the Bobcats rung up 12 hits for a 6-1 victory in the opener. After that, an 11^th-inning home run from Granger Studdard and impressive pitching from reliever Chase Hodson led to a 3-2 Texas State victory.
 Humpal tallied his second complete game of the season and boosted his strikeout-to-walk ratio to 27-2 for the season. He only gave up four hits in nine innings. Meanwhile, the team gave him plenty of run support in the first game of the day led by a 3-for-4 performance from Tanner Hill. Studdard, Ryan Newman and Nick Perez each added two hits apiece with Newman sending out his third home run of the season.
 
The second game was more of a grind-it-out affair. Jeremy Hallonquist struck out five with just one walk in six innings of work. In relief, Hodson tallied four strikeouts in four innings without allowing a hit or giving up a walk. In the 11^th inning, Pasquale Mazzoccoli and Braden Pearson teamed up to close it out. Mazzoccoli picked up the first two outs of the inning while Pearson came in for the lefty/lefty matchup. He didn't get his out at the plate as everyone expected. Instead, catcher Jared Huber shocked UL Monroe and nearly everyone in the stands with an impressive delayed pick-off throw to first base for the final out of the game.
 
Cody Lovejoy was 3-for-4 in the second game while Jaylen Hubbard, Luke Sherley and Studdard both tallied two hits apiece, but the most impressive one was Studdard's first home run of the season. He put the Bobcats up for good in the top of the 11^th inning with a solo shot to right field.
 In addition to the hitting and pitching, Jonathan Ortega provided some highlight plays at second base for impressive outs. Fans also saw a diving catch from Lovejoy in centerfield.
 
The Bobcats wasted no time getting the scoring started for the day. Ortega led off with a double, his fifth of the season. Studdard was able to drive him in on a single up the middle for an early 1-0 Bobcat lead.
 
Texas State kept the pressure on in the second inning. Cory Geisler, making his first start of the season in the outfield, hit a double and would go to third on a Derek Scheible base knock. With runners at the corners, the Bobcats pulled off a successful double steal with Geisler taking home to go up 2-0.
 
In the fifth inning, Texas State's Ortega reached on a fielder's choice and went to second base on a groundout. From there he was able to score on a single to right field from Studdard for a 3-0 Texas State lead. After that, Hill kept it rolling with a single down the left field line to plate Studdard and claim a 4-0 lead.
 
After a seventh-inning run for ULM, Newman answered with his third home run of the season, a solo shot to right centerfield, to put the Bobcats up, 5-1. Texas State added one more run before the game was over. Perez legged out an infield single and went to second base on a throwing error. He advanced to third on a fly out and scored for a 6-1 Bobcat lead when Studdard reached on a UL Monroe error.
 
In the second game of the day, the Bobcats scored first in the first inning yet again. Ortega drew a leadoff walk and Sherley sacrifice bunted him to second base. Studdard next hit a single to left field to plate Ortega and go up, 1-0, early. The Warhawks were able to answer in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run from Nathan Reynolds.
 
Studdard picked up another RBI in the third inning when he helped put the Bobcats up, 2-1. Lovejoy led off the inning with a single and went to second on an Ortega sacrifice bunt. He was able to advance to third base on an infield single from Sherley, then Studdard knocked a sacrifice fly to plate Lovejoy and reclaim the Texas State lead.
 
The Warhawks were able to respond in the bottom of the fourth inning. They did it in much the same way with Ross Moore drawing a leadoff walk and going to second base on a sacrifice bunt. He advanced to third on a wild pitch then scored on a groundout to tie the game, 2-2.
 
Texas State and UL Monroe would go on to play six more scoreless innings before Studdard struck his fateful homer to put the Bobcats up, 3-2. Mazzoccoli, Pearson and the rest of the defense did the work to shut the Warhawks down in the bottom of the inning and start conference play 2-0.
 
The Bobcats will complete the series against UL Monroe with a 2 p.m. game on Sunday. After that, Texas State will travel to UTSA for a midweek before hosting Appalachian State next weekend.



 

Bobcats won both games of their double header today! Take the mound again at 2 pm tomorrow! https://t.co/oEOJBMkmA5 — BobcatReport (@BobcatReport) March 13, 2016	Granger Studdard with this solo homer #TXST @TxStateBaseball @KTSWSports pic.twitter.com/4akyd8E0Wn — Eduardo Lerma (@EduardoL_KTSW) March 13, 2016
#GrangerDanger https://t.co/LsoyuIrsf8 — Jim Bob Breazeale (@jbbreazeale) March 13, 2016	Think we're watching the start of something special here in 2016 #AltuveJr https://t.co/7kLSjo5D3m — Landan Kuhlmann (@Landan_Kuhlmann) March 13, 2016