SAN MARCOS, Texas – After taking two in Saturday's doubleheader, Texas State completed the sweep with a 7-5 victory over UL Monroe on Sunday. With the win, Texas State improves to 12-4 overall and holds a 3-0 record in the Sun Belt Conference.
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On Sunday, the bats popped as they've had a tendency to do for Texas State. With 14 hits on Sunday, the Bobcats have 170 on the season for an average of 10.6 hits per game so far this year.
Jonathan Ortega continues to lead the way with a 5-for-6 day to give him 25 hits on the season and a .379 batting average … as a freshman. He scored three runs with an RBI on his impressive day while
Luke Sherley,
Granger Studdard,
Jaylen Hubbard and
Jared Huber each added two hits apiece. Studdard, however, was 2-for-3 with two walks and the go-ahead RBI in the eighth inning. Hubbard was 2-for-4.
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In his second pitching appearance of the season,
Cory Geisler did solid work in 3.1 innings. He only allowed two hits and two walks while striking out four and not giving up a run.
Pasquale Mazzoccoli finished off the game's final two innings and did not allow a hit to claim his third save of the year.
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The game was back-and-forth throughout the first seven innings, but the Bobcat bats and defense made the plays they needed in the final two innings to close out the game. With it tied up, Ortega ran out an infield single and went to second on his fourth steal of the season. He would take third on a fly out.
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With two outs and Ortega in danger of being stranded, Studdard rifled a base hit to left field to plate the go-ahead run and put the Bobcats up, 6-5. They would go on to add an insurance run in the ninth inning after holding ULM scoreless in the eighth.
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Derek Scheible took a hit by pitch to put the inning's leadoff man on base in the ninth, and he went all the way to third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run from Huber. Scheible would score on a sacrifice fly from Hubbard to give the Bobcats a bit of breathing room, 7-5.
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Mazzoccoli and the team's defense shut down UL Monroe in the bottom of the inning to clinch the game. After a groundout and a walk, Sherley charged a slow roller and had the presence of mind and athletic ability to get the ball to Ortega at second base. Ortega rifled it to
Tanner Hill at first to complete the double play, the win and the sweep.
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Texas State continued the team's trend of scoring in the first inning with two more runs on Sunday to make it six consecutive games with at least one run in the first inning. The Bobcats knocked three consecutive singles to load the bases and scored the first run on a bases-loaded groundout. After that, Sherley was able to score on a wild pitch to help the Bobcats claim an early 2-0 lead.
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In the second inning, the Bobcats were able to push the score up to 3-0 after Hubbard led off with a double. He went to third on a Sherley single and scored a moment later on a UL Monroe balk.
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The Warhawks tied it up with three runs, all coming with two outs, in the bottom of the second inning. UL Monroe led off with a single, then the Bobcats picked up two quick outs on a fly out and a
Jonathan Hennigan strikeout. After that, a single and a walk loaded the bases for ULM. A bases-loaded walk, hit by pitch and an error helped the Warhawks score three runs to tie it at 3-3.
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In the top of the fourth, the Bobcats started with back-to-back singles from Huber and Hubbard. After a ULM pitching change, Ortega kept it going with a base hit to centerfield to plate Huber and regain a Bobcat lead, 4-3.
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The Warhawks answered back to take a lead in the bottom of the fourth. After two quick outs on a strikeout and a groundout, ULM's leadoff man Cade Stone drew a two-out walk. He stole second and was driven in on a Nathan Reynolds double down the right field line. Another double scored Reynolds to put the Warhawks up, 5-4.
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Texas State continued the back-and-forth battle with a tying run in the sixth inning. After two outs, Ortega gave the Bobcats life with a double down the first-base line. Sherley and Studdard followed with back-to-back walks, and
Ryan Newman kept the streak going with a bases-loaded walk to tie the game, 5-5. He led the team in RBIs Sunday with two.
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Texas State takes to the road to face I-35 Rival UTSA at 6 p.m. Tuesday. After that, the Bobcats will host Appalachian State in a three-game home stand next weekend.
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