SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Bobcats knew they might have something special when Lucas Humpal returned for his senior season after being drafted in 2015. Friday night, he showed Texas State fans they certainly do. Humpal struck out 11 batters in a three-hit complete-game shutout for a virtuoso performance to lead the Bobcats past Incarnate Word, 4-0.
 With his 11 strikeouts Friday night, Humpal has 22 on the season with just two walks. He did not walk or hit one batter Friday, giving up no free bases. To shut the door on the Cardinals, Humpal and the Bobcat defense retired 13 consecutive batters to end the game. He tallied three strikeouts in that stretch. To start the night, Humpal tallied five strikeouts in the first three innings alone.
 
For his career, Humpal now has 225 strikeouts, just two behind Mike Hart, third in the Texas State record books. He is just 16 strikeouts away from the top number of 241 held by Bobby Sawicki from 2001-05. At this rate, he can lay claim to being Texas State's strikeout king sooner rather than later.
 
As Humpal continued his assault on the record books, his Bobcat offense provided plenty of support to get the victory. Jonathan Ortega went 2-for-4 with his second career home run, a three-run blast to bust the game open in the eighth inning. In addition to him, Ryan Newman, Nick Perez, Jared Huber and Derek Scheible each tallied hits in the game with Perez knocking in the other RBI.
 
After a scoreless first inning, the Bobcats struck in the bottom of the second. Newman led off with a nice double to right center and Perez followed with a single up the middle to plate Newman for an early 1-0 lead. That lead would be all the scoring in the game until the eighth inning.
 
The pitchers continued their duel until Huber led off the bottom of the eighth with a double to right center. After that, Scheible followed with a beautiful bunt single that died down the third-base line to move Huber to third. With runners at the corners, Ortega sent a no-doubter to left field to give the Bobcats a commanding 4-0 lead with his three-run homer.
 
Incarnate Word tried to answer in the top of the ninth, but found itself in a two-out hole rather quickly with consecutive fly outs to centerfield. For the final out of the game, Humpal snagged a liner straight at him to clinch the sixth win of the season for the Bobcats.
 
Texas State, now 6-4, continues the series against Incarnate Word with games at 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Saturday, the Bobcat leader in ERA, Jeremy Hallonquist will take the mound for the Bobcats against the Cardinals.






















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Jonathan Ortega Discusses His Three-Run Homer






 

We love baseball, how 'bout you? Come support @TxStateBaseball tomorrow at 3 and Sunday at 1! ?? pic.twitter.com/sjayPQTMSa — Erin Paxton (@erintaylor_2014) March 5, 2016	Final: @TxStateBaseball 4, Incarnate Word 0. The Bobcats continue their three game series tomorrow at the Bobcat Ballpark at 3 p.m. #TXST — Star Sports (@UStar_Sports) March 5, 2016
Anticipated the homerun coming @TxStateBaseball pic.twitter.com/rMLSOk3KOa — Robbie Beardmore (@Robbie84b) March 5, 2016	BTW, Humpal is easily on pace to become the all-time strikeout king in @TxStateBaseball history this season — Brant Freeman (@Brant_Freeman) March 5, 2016