Who Needs Pitching When You Can Score 20 Runs?

The bats were put to good use tonight but the Bobcats still fell.

The Baylor Bears came into San Marcos and out scored the Bobcats 22-17 but even that doesn’t tell the entire story. The freshman pitcher Matt Steiner took the mound for the first start of his career and went to work. He took out the first three Baylor batters three up three down. The problems started in the next inning. Steiner only made it for two more outs as five bears crossed the plate although only two of them were earned runs. He was replaced by freshman pitcher Jeff McVaney. McVaney did a great job getting out of the second inning but in the third he gave up six earned runs on four hits and was quickly replaced by Tyler Brundridge but the scoring didn’t stop there.

Brundridge allowed three more runs before the third inning ended. In the bottom of the third inning freshman left fielder, Tyler Sibley, hit a solo home run finally getting the Bobcats on the board. Even still, the Bears put three more runs in the top of the fourth and the Bobcats were down 17-1. It was a daunting task for anyone, but the Bobcat bats were up to the challenge.

The bottom of the fourth started out with Paul Goldschmidt reaching first on an error and things started rolling from there. Spencer Dennis hit his second double of the day knocking in Goldschmidt and advancing Cody Gambill to third base. Three singles in a row scored three runs and there were still no outs until Jason Martinson grounded into a fielder’s choice as the sixths batter in the inning. The bases loaded up again for the Bobcats and a run was walked in before Cody Gambill came up again and knocked a two RBI single. Then Dennis came back up and got his second RBI of the inning on his second hit of the inning. The Bobcats loaded the bases again before getting two quick outs to end the inning. Overall eleven runs were scored in the inning on seven hits. Texas State went from down 16 to down by five.

Garret Carruth came to the mound and shut down the Bears offense only allowing one hit and the hot Bobcat bats came back up. A walk and three singles later and the Bobcats had two more runs and no outs. One line out and a double play and the inning was over. After another quick half inning the Bobcats came back to the plate in the bottom of the sixth down only three runs.

Ben Theriot singled to left field and up stepped the new Bobcat shortstop Jason Martinson. So far Martinson has been a .184 hitter on the season but a booming shot the left field cleared the fence with room the spare. The Bobcats were down by only one run.

After a two run spot was put on the board by Baylor in the top of the seventh, Michael Russo came in to stop the bleeding. He did a good job in the seventh holding the Bears to those two runs but gave up two in the eighth. Russo came out and one more run scored giving the Bears a 22-16 lead. The Bobcats managed to get one run in the bottom of the eighth inning but the third double play of the game once again ended the Bobcats rally.

Both sides of the ninth inning came and went as a three up three down and that is how the game finished. A steady stream of freshman pitchers on both sides coupled with five home runs kept the bats flowing. Overall it was a pretty solid defensive night for both teams with only four errors on 47 hits and three double plays.

The Bobcats fall to 10-7 on the season and face off against Lamar in a three game series for their first away game in almost three weeks. The next home game is against Prairie View A&M on Tuesday March 24^th and you can listen to that game on 89.9 KTSW.

Dalton Sweat- KTSW Sports Staff Writer