FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Huntsville, TX – A 6 a.m. wake up call gave the Texas State Bobcats the extra push they needed to crush four Southland Conference Tournament records with in the 22-2 seven-inning run-rule victory over Texas-Arlington Wednesday morning at Sanders Stadium.
With the Bobcats first round victory, their next game is slated for 4 p.m. against the winner of East Division rivals Lamar and Southeastern Louisiana.
“The preparation for this game started long before we arrived at the field,” said head coach Ty Harrington. “Our focus was where it needed to be two days ago and I will be very surprised if that same focus isn’t there again after that performance.”
The shows stars came from Mike Hart pitching a solid six innings on the mound and holding UTA to just two runs off seven hits, and a defense that kept ten Mavericks stranded on base.
Texas State’s bats stayed hot from the beginning of the game after Thomas Field drew a lead-off walk to open the game. Paul Goldschmidt rapped out the first hit of the inning with a one-out single through the right side to plate Field and Texas State’s rally never slowed. Lance Loftin and Adam Witek hit mirrored singles up the middle and Ben Theriot dropped base hit into left field to aid the ‘Cats five-run first inning.
Hart maintained his edge on the mound to keep UTA scoreless, including a retired side in the top of the fourth. But by that time the ‘Cats had raised its total to seven and closed out the bottom of the fourth with four runs.
In the bottom of the second Field and Randell belted back-to-back singles with one out and a ground out put the two into scoring position. Loftin capitalized on the situation with a two-run hot hit up the middle to give Texas State the 7-0 edge.
In the bottom of the fourth, the top of the ‘Cats lineup prevailed again, with an infield single from Field to jump start the inning. Goldschmidt was issued a walk for a two-man diamond and Lofin rapped a second base hit between second and short for an 8-0 game. Mark Picca was brought in to relieve a struggling Ryan Robinson, but the Bobcat bats were too hot to tame. Adam Witek placed a single into left field and Spenser Dennis closed out the inning with a left-line double for the final two RBI.
The ‘Cats tacked on the 12-0 tally when Bret Atwood scored after drawing a lead-off walk in the bottom of the fifth.
UTA managed their lone two runs in the top of the sixth, but Texas State answered back with an SLC record claiming ten-run inning. Elliott Babcock led off the high-scoring affair with a base hit over the pitcher’s head that was followed by seven hits, including a three-run homer from Ben Theriot.
“I didn’t know it was going over, but once it did I was pretty excited,” said Theriot. “This win set the tone for the rest of the tournament and coming in hot like this can only help us.”
Theriot finished the day with a 3-for-5 outing and a league-record seven RBI.
All but one Bobcat notched a hit in the record-setting 24 hit tally and seven notched multi-hit games.
All told, the ‘Cats set three team records, runs scored in an inning, most hits in a game and most runs batted in, along with Theriot’s individual record.
UTA shuffled through four pitchers in the losing effort. Robinson was tagged with the loss.
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Lamar Scores Four Runs In The Ninth For Walk-Off 8-7 Win In SLC Tournament Opener
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – After overcoming a 10 run deficit to rival McNeese State (11-10) on May 16, the second seed Lamar Cardinals are no strangers to overcoming tall obstacles. The Cardinals entered the bottom of the ninth down 7-4 to seven seed Southeastern Louisiana and plated four runs to take game two of the 2008 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament 8-7.
Lamar got things rolling first in the bottom of the second as junior Nik Gumeson homered to left field giving the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
It the top of the third SLU answered with three runs of their own with two singles by Cass Hargis and Jordan D’Arensbourg when Brandon Street tripled to right center to tie the game at 2-2. Xavier Qualls sacrifice bunt gave the Lions the lead heading into the fourth inning, 3-2.
After Matt Schexnayder singled for an RBI up the middle scoring Brian McCants, Lamar senior Jeff Vickers homered to left leaving the Cardinals down 4-3 after four innings.
SLU took a commanding three run lead in the sixth inning with two runs from a Ty Summerlin single and after stealing second Summerlin was drove in by a Brandon Street double giving the Lions a 6-3 lead.
Each team added a run with Lamar down 7-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Lamar senior Jeff Vickers started the ninth drawing a walk followed by a single to right field by David Moore giving the Cardinals two on with no outs.
Nik Gumeson singled to left field loading the bases with no outs. Jeremiah Sammy singled to left giving Lamar its first run of the ninth moving Lamar to with in two (7-5).
Pinch hitter Chris Dunkin singled to right field tying the score 7-7. Steven Tucker drove in the winning run with a bouncing single over a drawn in Lions infield.
With the win Lamar moves into the second round 1-0 and will face the winner of game 1 Texas State in game seven on Thursday at 4 p.m.
Southeastern Louisiana will now move into game five and face UT Arlington on Thursday at 9 a.m. as both teams attempt to hold off elimination.
A&M-Corpus Christi Stuns Top Seed UTSA In Game Three SLC Tournament
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Eight seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi stun the top seed UTSA Roadrunners 7-5 in game three of the 2008 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament marking the third win in four games the Islanders have taken over the SLC regular season champion this season.
A&M-Corpus Christi pitcher Omar Gutierrez tossed a 139 pitches over six innings giving up nine hits and two earned runs with seven strikeouts holding UTSA’s power line up in check as the Islanders built an insurmountable lead.
UTSA struck first early with RBI singles from Trent Lockwood and Zach Etheredge in the first and second innings giving the Roadrunners a 2-0 lead.
A&M-Corpus Christi evened things up with one swing in the top of the third inning from senior Bryan Gerondale’s two-run homer to left field.
UTSA took the lead in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single from junior James Keithley. It would be the only time the top seed Roadrunners lead the Islanders.
In the top of the fifth freshman Trey Hernandez drove in Gerondale and Martin Parra doubled down the left field line giving the Islanders a one run lead they would never relinquish.
In the bottom of the ninth inning A&M-Corpus Christi held a 7-4 lead as UTSA began to threaten a come back as Tim Palincsar scored on a fielding error moving the Roadrunners to with in two (7-5), but relief pitchers Jake Olier and Bryant Sparkman held off UTSA taking game one.
A&M-Corpus Christi will face the winner of game four between tournament host Sam Houston State and Northwestern State on Thursday at seven p.m. UTSA will face the loser of game four on Thursday at noon.
