Here We Go Again: Texas State Eliminated By Second Consecutive Late-Game Collapse

That was that. Over and out. Two up two down. Whatever you want to call it, the Texas State baseball team is out of the NCAA regionals with an 0-2 record after losing 7-4 to Army on Saturday.

It was a painful loss that came much in the same vein as yesterday’s game with a late inning rally erasing wonderful starting pitching. The difference today was that instead of the relief pitching faltering it was errors that did the Bobcats in as four of the seven Army runs were unearned. Starting pitcher Brian Borski went 6 1/3 innings allowing only one earned run.

Texas State, being the visiting team started out the game with a score in the top of the 1st. All everything first baseman Paul Goldschmidt doubled and was brought in on an RBI single by Keith Prestridge.

Borski had a bit of a control problem starting out walking one batter and hitting another in the bottom of the first inning. The two runners would not be a problem as Borski would strand both of them without allowing them to advance at all.

Each team stranded two runners in the second inning but managed to bring in a run a piece in the third inning. If you had to wonder who was going to score the Bobcat’s second run of the game you may not have watched many games this year. Paul Goldschmidt singled and was brought in this time by Spenser Dennis. After a solo shot by Army’s Joey Henshaw, the 6’7 250 lbs designated hitter, in the bottom of the third the score stood at 2-1.

In the bottom of the fourth a would be double play gone wrong allowed the tying run to come across the plate. A slow hit ball to Kyle Livingstone at second was picked up just in time to tag the passing runner. The throw to Paul Goldschmidt to complete the double play went in and out of Goldschmidt’s glove and back to the wall. The out would have ended the inning. This was only first of four unearned runs to come across the plate.

A triple to wall in the sixth would eventually allowed Jason Martinson to come around and score and another Spenser Dennis RBI in the seventh would give the Bobcats a 4-2 lead.

In yesterday’s game it was the top of the ninth that did in Texas State. Today’s game there was a bit of a preemptive strike with the game winning rally starting in the bottom of the eighth instead. A throwing error by Martinson would allow the first batter of the inning reach base safely and advance to second. A quick single would score in the run. After one out a single and walk caused reliever Lance Loftin to be replaced by Tyler Brundridge after the bases had been loaded. Brundridge walked the first batter to walk in the tying run of the ball game and leave the bases juiced with only one out. After a sacrifice fly scored one more run an error by Livingstone at second base allowed the bases to become loaded again. Once again this error would have been the final out of the inning. Up came Henshaw again but it wasn’t a home run this time that would do the damage. It was a simple bloop single to center field that would score the final two runs necessary.

The top of the ninth came and went with only Bret Atwood reaching base with a lead off walk. Two fielder’s choices later and one ground ball and a historic season for the Bobcats came to a disappointing end.

Records were broken, great games were played and it was an impressive season for Texas State, making the loss quite bittersweet. Two games in a row, the Bobcats outplayed Boston College and Army until their opponents' respective final half innings at bat. Two games in a row that final half inning saw a roaring comeback with just enough runs to win for the Eagles and Black Knights. Yesterday’s loss may have been one of the most painful of the season but today’s did its best to match the feeling.

It was a year many felt was magical, and in many ways it was. However, all of those fans as well as the heartbroken Bobcat players looking for a chance at redemption will have to wait until next year.

-Dalton Sweat, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Blow Late Lead, Suffer Soul-Crushing Loss to Boston College

With only three outs left to go and the game in hand, the Texas State Bobcat relief pitching gave up six runs to the Boston College Eagles in the top of the 9th handing the Cats a heartbreaking 8-7 loss to start the 2009 NCAA Austin Regional.

Going into Friday's match-up between the number two seeded Bobcats and the number three seeded Eagles, both teams knew that the pitching would be crucial in the opening game because both squads brought power to the plate. Texas State was able to escape the power Boston College brought through the first eight innings of the ball game with Kane Holbrooks pitching a solid 7.0 innings worth while only giving up 5 hits and 2 earned runs. On the other hand, the Eagles pitching struggled throughout the game putting a slew of four pitchers to the mound through eight innings.

The Bobcat got rocking early like they've done all season long by putting put one run in the 1st. Tyler Sibley was the man to cross the plate in the first and Ty Harrington's small ball seemed to be working in full force. Starting pitcher for the Eagles JB MacDonald settled down on the mound but never really kept the Cats from tacking up more runs. The Bobcats had several consistent innings putting up 1 run in the 4th, 2 runs in the 6th and 1 more run in the 7th inning before head Coach Mike Aioke decided Mac Donald's day was over.

The Cats led 5-2 going into the eighth when Tyler Brundridge came into the game to relieve Holbrooks on his excellent outing. Brundridge inherited a runner on first but was able to get the next three batters out, putting Texas State only three outs away to advance in the winners column of the Austin regional.

After the Bobcats couldn't muster any more insurance runs in the 8th inning, head Coach Ty Harrington decided to keep Brundridge in to close the game in the 9th. With the way Brundridge has pitched all season, it was hard to argue the choice from Harrington knowing the Brundridge has consistently been the most dominant relief pitcher the Cats have had all season. What took place in the top of the 9th was just unfathomable to even predict.

Brundridge took the mound to face the number six hole hitter for the Eagles Barry Butera (who had already committed two defensive errors on the day). Butera singled to start the inning off right for Boston College. At this point you're thinking Brundridge wouldn't give up two hits in a row... Before most Bobcat fans could even finish that thought Andrew Lawrence hit another single off of Brundridge. Nothing too damaging but with a runner now in scoring position and no outs in the top of the 9th, things were on the verge of getting worse... and they did.

The next batter Mike Sudol, who had been 0 for 3 on the game so far, decided to hit a shot to the right field corner to score in a run as well as giving himself a stand up double. With still no outs in the top of the 9th, Harrington made the call to bring in the Bobcats closer Michael Russo. Russo, who usually comes in to start the 9th inning, came into a situation that was a little more tricky. Two runners on the base pads and the go ahead run at the plate for the Eagles. The score was 5-3 and Russo desperately needed to get an out for the Cats with the nine whole batter coming up to the plate for the Eagles. Russo made John Spatola foul a couple of balls but it was the third pitch for Russo that Spatola sent over the right field wall to give the Eagles a 6-5 lead, with still no outs!

With Holbrooks' school record setting 11th win taken from him, Russo had to just focus and get the three outs. But the Eagles weren't done just yet. They managed to tack on two more runs with a single from their lead off hitter, who had gone 0 for 4 on the day up until that point. That lead off hitter was scored home by a double by arguably the Eagles best hitter Tony Sanchez, who had also gone 0 for 4 on the day up until that point. Sanchez would eventually brought home on a single RBI by the ninth batter of the top of the 9th inning. The Bobcats managed to get the last out, but the damage was done with Texas State needing three runs to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th.

Bret Atwood singled off of Boston College's closer to start off the bottom of the 9th. Some life started to enter back into the Bobcat fans at the Disch in Austin, TX. Next batter Paul Goldschmidt, who was due for a hit, smacked a towering home run over the left field wall giving the Cats two more runs. Now only down by one run, no outs in the bottom of the 9th, Texas State fans were salivating for a comeback victory. Adam Witek pinched hit and got on base with still no outs. Harrington played small ball with Witek's speed on the bases sacrificing Spenser Dennis' bat to move Witek into scoring position. Ben Theriot's at bat didn't last long as he didn't wait to long to hit a fly out to left field, keeping Witek on second. Senior utility man Lance Loftin came up to the plate in what is every kids dream. Two outs in the bottom of the 9th, down one run, a full count, and you are the winning run. Lance swung for the fences but couldn't make contact as the game ended in a stomach wrenching loss.

This loss sends the Bobcats into a tough situation to come out of successfully. With the double elimination NCAA Regional, the Cats will have to beat Army in order to keep their national championship hopes alive. Texas State is set to take the diamond at Noon on Saturday against Army, who is coming off a 3-1 loss against Texas. You can listen to all the live action on 89.9 KTSW and txstatebobcats.com starting with the pre-game show thirty minutes prior to the first pitch.

James McNeal- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Yet Another SLC Title in San Marcos? Not This Time.

After putting up three straight dominating victories against SFA, Lamar and Lamar once again, the No. 1 seeded Texas State Bobcats were stopped in their tracks by Sam Houston State in the Southland Conference Championship game as the Bearkats took home their third straight tournament championship with a 7-1 victory.

It seemed after out-scoring opponents by 27 runs in the first three games the tank was empty for the Bobcats as they had a hard time getting anything started especially against Bearkat relief pitcher Matt Shelton. Paul Goldschimdt was intentionally walked after Tyler Sibley went to second to start out the ball game but no rally could get rolling. Keith Prestridge grounded into a double play. It was an early sign of what was to come. Over the entire tournament the balls seemed to be bouncing in favor of Texas State but on Saturday night great Sam Houston defense and untimely double plays ended many of the Bobcats' attempts at rallies.

Garret Carruth took the mound for his first start against a Southland Conference opponent and looked on fire striking out the first two batters with great control and getting out of the inning only facing three batters. All the momentum was in Texas State's favor in the top of the second inning as Lance Loftin hit his second home run of the tournament over the left center field wall. It was a solo shot that put the Bobcats up 1-0. Carruth stepped back in and did his job working the Bearkat batters allowing his first hit and leaving that one runner stranded on base in the bottom of the second.

Sam Houston’s starting pitcher Jacob Howard made it through another half inning and didn’t give up a hit setting up the Bearkats only one run down going into the bottom of the third. Carruth’s good control started to leave him as he allowed two runs on three hits before getting out of the third inning. The Bearkats took the lead 2-1 but that would be all the runs necessary for Shelton as he came in for Howard in the top of the fourth.

The bottom of the fourth would score three runs for Sam Houston before Michael Russo came in for Texas State to relief Carruth. Russo would do his job going three innings only giving up one run but it wouldn’t be enough. From the time when Shelton game in it would be four hitless innings for Texas State. Loftin would later say that Shelton’s slider was "really good...I couldn’t really tell the difference between his fastball and his slider," which coming from an outstanding pitcher like Loftin is quite a compliment. His overall pitching arsenal was also good enough in the tournament to give him the SLC Tournament MVP honor. Shelton would strike out eight batters over the next 5 2/3^rd innings and sufficiently shut down the Bobcat bats.

Three Bobcats made the All-Tournament team: Paul Goldschmidt, Jason Martinson, and Bret Atwood. Texas State did receive an at-large bid as a 2-seed to the NCAA baseball tournament despite the loss. They will take on Boston College in the Austin Regional of Friday at 1:00 p.m. You can catch the game on 89.9 KTSW, ktsw.net and txstatebobcats.com.

- Dalton Sweat, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Plow Through Cardinals Once Again, Reach SLC Title Game

In another after-midnight game against the Lamar Cardinals, the Texas State Bobcat Baseball team kept the hits coming and the coffee brewing en route to knocking out the Cardinals in round 2, 13-2 in a ten-run-rule victory.

Coming into game three of the tournament the Cats looked to stay in the winners bracket, as they would only need to beat Lamar one more time to head into the SLC Championship game. The Cardinals, on the other hand, came into their third game in 24 hours needing two straight victories over Texas State to make the championship game. One of those previous games was Thursday night's 10-1 Bobcat rout of the Cardinals which lasted past midnight, just like this one. You can almost say the advantage was surely with the Cats because Lamar had a depleted pitching staff and a tired line-up.

The game started off right for Texas State as they put their first four batters on base and knocked in one run in the bottom of the first. After a pitching change by the Cardinals in the first inning, Brian Needham came into the game and got the next three batters to leave three guys on the bases to end the inning. It was a big disappointment for the Cats since they had the bases loaded when Needham came into the game with the bases loaded and no outs.

But the Bobcats wouldn't waste any time scoring as they proceeded to put up 6 runs in 11 at bats in the bottom of the 2nd inning. It all started with a Kyle Kubitza walk and by the end of the inning, Bret Atwood, Paul Goldschmidt, Spenser Dennis, Ben Theriot and Kyle Livingstone recorded RBIs. The Cats kept a dominant 7-0 lead until the 5th inning when the Cardinals brought in one run off of the Bobcats' starting pitcher Zach Tritz, who pitched 6.1 successful innings.

One thing Assistant Coach Geremy Fikaj said the best thing for this Texas State team is the dominance from the starting pitchers throughout the tournament. Considering Kane Holbrooks' outing in 7.0 innings, Brian Borski's effort in 6.1 innings and now Zach Tritz's impressive performance in 6.1 innings (and don't forget Brundridge and Loftin in relief), it can be said that the pitching staff has really cranked it up a notch in the past few games.

With the game pretty much out of reach, the Cardinals put one more run on in the top of the 7th and the Bobcats put two on themselves as the score came close to reaching the ten-run-rule mark at 9-2. However, SLC Freshman of the Year pitcher for Lamar Eric Harrington came in and put the clamps down on the Bobcat offense...at least temporarily. While Bobcat fans were probably expecting another 20 minutes before the game would end as Harrington quickly racked up 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th, Jason Martinson and Tyler Sibley suddenly got on the bases off of walks. Then came up Bret Atwood, who has been taking sacrifices all tournament long with 5 sac bunts throughout the 3 games. Atwood this time was given the swing away signal and took the first good pitch he was given over the right center field wall for his first career home run of his two year career as a Bobcat. The players rounded the bases cheering and the rest of the team greeted Atwood at the plate for a walk off ten-run-ruled victory.

The game marked Texas State's third win of the tournament and improves their overall record to a mind-blowing 41-14. In the tournament, every game has been close, except for the Bobcats' games. The sluggers from San Marcos won game one 9-2, game two 10-1 and now game three 13-2. However, the team now has their sights set on their toughest test yet as they will face rival Sam Houston State in the Championship game on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Sam Houston was the only squad to win a regular season series against the Bobcats this season, and has won the last two SLC Tournament titles. If Texas State can beat the Bearkats and win the Championship game, voters on the NCAA selection committee would have to consider the Bobcats as a legitimate #2 seed possibility in a regional tournament. You can catch the SLC Championship game starting with the pre-game at 5:30 p.m. on 89.9 KTSW as well as ktsw.net and txstatebobcats.com

- James McNeal and Dalton Sweat, KTSW Sports Staff Writers

Looks Like We'll Have Some More Midnight Baseball

Here's an update from the Southland Conference Baseball Tournament in Corpus:

-Southeastern Louisiana eliminated University of Texas - San Antonio 5-4 in 12 innings in the first Friday game; it was the longest Southland Conference Tournament game in history. That game started at 9 am, and of course didn't end before noon as conference officials had hoped, so that knocked things a bit off-kilter for:

-Lamar and UT-Arlington, which just ended around 5 pm after a delayed 2 pm start. Lamar eliminated the Mavericks 5-4, and will play Texas State tonight after suffering a 10-1 loss to the Bobcats last night.

-Sam Houston State was supposed to start their game against Southeastern Louisiana today at 4 pm, but obviously that's not going to happen as the Lamar game just ended. Since there's a mandated 45-minute break between games in the SLC tournament, this game will likely not start until around 5:45. If SHSU wins, they'll advance to the championship game tomorrow at 6 pm, if SLU wins there will be another game between these two teams tomorrow at 9 am or 1 pm, depending on how Texas State does tonight.

-This means that we'll likely see a second consecutive midnight baseball game for Texas State as last night's game went into Friday morning. Texas State and Lamar were projected to begin play at 7 pm this evening, but seeing that a 1 hour, 15 minute game is impossible for SHSU and SLU to pull off, we could see a 9 pm or even 10 pm start time for the Bobcats and Cardinals. If the good guys win over Lamar for the second straight evening, they'll advance to the championship game on Saturday at 6 pm, if they lose they'll face Lamar for a third time at 1 pm Saturday.

Stay tuned for any further updates, as the game will be available on 89.9 KTSW, ktsw.net and txstatebobcats.com whenever it starts.

- Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Forty! Texas State Hits School Win Record With Laugher Over Lamar

It was a game that lasted for two days, starting on Thursday and ending early Friday morning. A late start caused by traditional Bobcat rivals Sam Houston State and University of Texas - San Antonio going into extra innings caused the final game of the day to start two hours late at 9 p.m. and it continued past midnight into Friday morning. However, that did not seem to phase a focused Bobcat baseball team as a six run third inning gave Texas State (40-14) the lead for good and brought home a 10-1 over the Lamar Cardinals in the second day of the SLC Conference Tournament.

The beginning of the game flashed by for both teams with a total of 15 batters coming to the plate in the first two innings and then the third inning came along. Jason Martinson started things off with a walk followed up by Tyler Sibley reaching base on an error to give the Cats two base runners with no outs. A trademark sacrifice by Bret Atwood moved the runners over and Lamar chose to issue Paul Goldschmidt his second intentional walk of the tournament loading the bases up with one out. It seems that Player and Hitter of the Year Goldschmidt has certainly earned the respect of the Southland Conference coaches.

To this point Texas State had the bases loaded without getting a hit. As well as the Bobcats were playing it seemed as if all the little things were naturally falling in their direction. The next five batters all recorded RBIs finished off by a double by Kyle Livingstone driving in the final two runs of the inning and the Bobcats took a 6-0 lead. Jason Martinson also pulled off a rare feat as he managed to draw two walks in the same inning though he was left stranded on base on the second go-around.

Speaking of walks, Goldschmidt took over the first place spot in Texas State history drawing the most walks in a single season with 52 up to this point in the season. From there Brian Borski took control on the mound. He may have walked six batters in the game with the lone run scored against him coming in the seventh inning after throwing over 110 pitches. The last two games the Bobcat starting pitchers have done their jobs collectively going 13 1/3 innings while only giving up three runs.

Once again Coach Harrington called on Tyler Brundridge to come into the game. Yesterday Brundridge closed out the final two innings without giving up a run. If you want to know how things have been going for the senior pitcher lately his next pitch tells it all. Inheriting runners on first and second with only one out Brundridge threw his first pitch. It was hit sharply to Lance Loftin at third base and quickly run around the horn for the double play. One pitch, two outs and the inning was over. He finished it out from there without allowing a run and that means that he has gone 4 2/3 innings in the tournament without giving up a run.

The 10-1 victory narrowly outdoes Wednesday's 9-2 victory over Stephen F. Austin and also notched the 40th win on the season for Texas State, a school record and a threshold that may have clinched at least an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament for the Cats. Tomorrow the Bobcats will play the winner of tomorrow’s noon game between the Lamar Cardinals and the University of Texas Arlington Mavericks. Texas State will tentatively play at 7 p.m. on Friday but as we have seen the game very well could be starting later in the night. No matter when it starts you can listen to it on KTSW 89.9, ktsw.net and txstatebobcats.com.

- Dalton Sweat and James McNeal, KTSW Sports Staff Writers

Rings and Trophies Just Aren't Enough Without the Cup.

Football. Soccer. Volleyball. Softball. Baseball. Each of these sports won its regular season Southland Conference title for the 2008-2009 school year. Soccer and Softball brought home SLC Tournament trophies, and Bobcat baseball plays in Corpus Christi as we speak to take a stab at the Baseball Tournament title. This is all worthy of the Southland Conference Commissioner's Cup, adding more allure to wearing a Bobcat jersey and making a bigger argument to the Drive to FBS we've heard so much about.

The Cup goes to a Southland athletic program each year based on Conference standings at the end of each team's respective season, with All-Sports Trophies as an exclusive bonus for men's and women's games. Texas State takes home its ninth consecutive ladies version of the All-Sports Trophy. These awards are based on a 12 point system, also based on end-of-season results. This Cup is a story of dominance and comebacks, exceeding expectations and giving Bobcat fans something to cheer about.

To start this journey, Karrington Bush thought he'd plow into the end zone "for another Bobcat touchdown! Hello Southland Conference Championship!" This was to beat NFL prospect Rhett Bomar's Bearkats in an overtime thriller in Huntsville, which saw a large-scale Bobcat fan weekend road trip break out. Coach Chisum's high-hopping volleyball girls were sub .500 before winning 14 of 17 at the start of Conference play (including 8 W's in a row and 8 shut outs) to take the volleyball title. And 2008 Soccer Coach of the Year Kat Conner, well, her team showed no signs of weakness. With a 13-4-4 record, the Bobcats kicked the rest of the Southland out of the NCAA tournament (where the 'Cats would lose to eventual powerhouse Texas A&M), with ten shut out victories, one of which was in the SLC Tournament in Lake Charles, LA.

With Lake Charles in the host position again in 2009, coach Woodard's softball team fought tooth and nail for redemption from last season. Down 1-0 in the championship game to McNeese State, Bethany Stefinsky (MSU's single season K's leader) had a no-no into the top of the seventh with her Cowgirls playing the home team. Leah Boatright rocked one to left to tie it, and Ryan Kos went out a hero with a solo shot to seal the 2-1 Tournament win. Talk about heroic, talk about unbelievable... When does that title grace a headline? And talk about comebacks -- the baseball boys went on a surge after a gut-wrenching loss to Sam Houston State (17-10 in ten innings makes it hard to sleep at night). A few days rest got the 'Cats rolling on a 21-of-23 win streak, including a dozen in a row. Coach Harrington's guys sealed another six game win streak with a walk-off double against Nicholls State (thanks be to Spencer Dennis) for another shiny new ring/trophy package. The boys are still in Corpus for the Tournament, sitting pretty with a 1-0 record so far.

In April, Texas State Athletics received a $1 million donation. With a new stadium for those fanatical football folks and two new sets of seats for diamond lovers, the Drive looks to be cruising towards success. This is a refreshing change from ten years ago, when San Marcos was a town with a school whose athletic program seemed stuck in neutral. Now Bobcat fans have something to worry about -- winning and losing, as opposed to just the latter. In the words of Jesse Jackson, "they don't boo nobodies," and for a good while, there are those who have maintained that Texas State is a big-name school, so it's time to start playing big-time games. This year, at least, the Bobcats have proven that with the Cup. After five regular season titles, two tournament titles (with one in the works), two NCAA regionals, and national stat leaders around the board, that makes this Cup a whole lot sweeter. Thanks, Commish.

- Mason Robinson, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Swipe Lumberjacks in First Game of SLC Tournament

The Texas State Bobcat Baseball team rode into the beautiful weather of Corpus Christi, Texas with bats swinging, taking game one of the SLC Tournament 9-2 against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks.

The Cats blasted three home runs in the game, starting with a three-run hooking bomb by Paul Goldschmidt that narrowly stayed inside the line that put the Bobcats up 3-1 in the third inning. The one run by the Lumberjacks came in the 2nd inning when Bo Coffman crossed the plate after a Justin Long shot to center field.

Kane Holbrooks started for the Cats in game one and came out a little rocky with the SFA batters getting contact. The 'Jacks left a runner on third base consecutively for the first three innings giving Holbrooks time to settle in his shoes. After the Goldschmidt home run and no outs on the board, many fans thought a big inning may be in store, but SFA starting pitcher Erich Lehmann made three consecutive batters fly out to leave Keith Prestridge and Spencer Dennis on base.

After a run for the 'Jacks in the top of the 4th, and a rebuttal sac fly score by Prestridge the score read 4-2 heading into the 5th. Then came the consistent SLC Pitcher of the Year Holbrooks, who retired eight consecutive batters, while the Bobcats bats came alive in a big, big way.

First, Lance Loftin hit a towering foul ball that would have been a home run if it had been hit a couple of feet to the right. Then, on the very next pitch Loftin decided he wanted to hit one in play by smacking a shot to left center field. It almost busted the lights of the scoreboard that stands about 50 feet back from the left center field wall at Whataburger Field.

Next, Jason Martinson hit a shot to right center field that was thrown back from the stands giving Martinson a stand up triple. Tyler Sibley came up to bat after Martinson and knocked in a two-run home run shot to left field giving the Bobcats a 7-2 lead after 5 innings.

Texas State then scored on two more runs in the 7th and 8th innings while the pitching staff for the Bobcats was really the icing on the cake for the end of the game. Holbrooks recorded the win, pitching seven innings, while Tyler Brundridge came in for the last two innings only facing six batters. Overall, the team stayed away from a first round blooper by great pitching and fielding to give the Cats' bats some room to do their work.

The Bobcats move on to the second round and will await the winner between the UT-Arlington Mavericks and the Lamar Cardinals; which are set to play at 7 p.m. The game for the Cats regardless of which team they play will be at 7 p.m on Thursday. You can head to Corpus Christi, Texas to experience the beautiful weather and watch your Cats, or listen to the game starting with the pre-game slated 20 minutes before game time. You can listen to all the action on 89.9 KTSW or by going to txstatebobcats.com.

- James McNeal & Dalton Sweat, KTSW Sports Staff Writers

Louisiana TKO Ends Softball's Best Season Since 2003

The Texas State softball team came into Sunday's game against the #25 Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns with the knowledge that they had to crank out three huge wins in a row that afternoon if they wanted a shot at getting to the Ann Arbor Super Regional in the NCAA Tournament. However, ULL starting pitcher Ashley Brignac put any hopes of a frenzied Bobcat run to rest as she struck out 10 Texas State batters and only allowed one hit in 6 innings while the Cajun offense teed off on a tired Chandler Hall to take a 5-0 victory in Waco.

Despite the box score showing domination by ULL in most statistical categories, Texas State kept themselves in this game until the 5th inning, not unlike how they kept themselves afloat against Baylor the day before until the 5th in that game as well. Brignac, who led the Ragin Cajuns to a College World Series appearance last year before being hampered by tendonitis absolutely shut down the Bobcat hitters at first as she struck out the first 5 of 6 batters she faced. A Jenna Emery hit in the top of the 5th inning as well as some minor control issues on Brignac's part gave Texas State a glimmer of hope with only a 1-0 deficit to work with, but that glimmer was quickly blotted out as two of the next three batters struck out and the Cajun offense finally struck.

Coach Woodard had decided beforehand to go with a bold move in riding Chandler Hall's arm until it fell off instead of inserting Katie Garnett or Elizabeth Dennis into the starting pitcher's position, and frankly, with how well Hall had been pitching in the past few weeks, why not? However, Hall's fatigue might have caught up to her as she gave up 5 earned runs on six hits, most of them coming in the bottom of the 5th. Two errors by Alex Newton and C. Hall advanced runners into scoring position, and a 2-RBI single by Melissa Verde as well as a 2-run homer by catcher Lana Bowers put a serious dent in the Bobcats' comeback hopes. In fact, that's not all that Bowers dented, her homer ended up bouncing off of play-by-play announcer Mason Robinson's truck. Insult to injury, anyone?

Katie Garnett replaced Hall on the pitcher's circle in the 6th inning and did a fine job of keeping the Louisiana offense at bay, but by that time the damage was done. The Bobcats couldn't keep their small bit of offensive momentum from the last inning going and went out with a whimper in the 6th and 7th innings as relief pitcher Brittany Cuevas closed the game out to make sure that Brignac (8-2, 0.17 ERA) didn't re-aggravate her tendonitis. Chandler Hall saw her overall record drop to 25-11 with a 1.17 ERA.

Despite a frustrating finish for this Texas State team, they can still keep their heads high. They got to an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2003, and made some noise while they were there. They were able to assist in knocking off the 12-seeded Northwestern Wildcats with an 8-0 rout in their first game on Friday (ULL finished the job on Saturday), and they also were able to win both the Southland Conference regular season and tournament titles outright for the first time since 2001. Additionally, their impressive 40-18 overall record is the third best record by any Texas State softball team in history. The team will lose a lot of important seniors including Alex Newton, Ryan Kos, Katie Garnett and Taylor Hall, but future is bright for this Bobcat team as players like Leah Boatright, Megan Parten, Allyce Rother, Jenna Emery, McKenzie Baack and of course pitching sensation Chandler Hall will be back next season. Tune in next spring on 89.9 KTSW as we will continue to bring you action from around the diamond.

- Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Mother Nature, Baylor Rain on Bobcats' Parade

After a monumental 8-0 run-rule victory over #12 Northwestern on Friday, the Texas State softball team was originally scheduled to play the Baylor Lady Bears at 1:30 pm Saturday afternoon. However, it was apparent early Saturday morning as the players looked out their hotel windows that their original plans for second day of the Waco Regional Bracket of the NCAA Softball Tournament were about to be washed out. A steady torrent of rain that started around 10:00 am forced the game to be moved back to 8:00 pm, and the wait did not prove to be beneficial as Baylor drenched Texas State's hopes of heading into Sunday undefeated with a 7-4 win over the Bobcats.

From the start, things seemed to be slightly off for the Bobcats as Baylor struck first with a massive Brette Reagan solo shot to center field, but the game still had a heavyweight slugfest type of feel to it early. Despite leaving runner after runner on base, the Texas State bats were alive and well throughout the game and kept the Cats from going under. Allyce Rother and Jenna Emery tallied an RBI each in the 2nd and 3rd innings to keep pace with a couple of Baylor runs, and the Bobcats even saw a frenzied rally to take a 3-2 lead at the end of the 4th off of a Taylor Hall RBI single.

Unfortunately, immediately after that lead change was when disaster struck. Two shockingly inaccurate throws from catcher Megan Parten and Southland Conference Player of the Year Alex Newton brought two runs home on two errors, and a tired starting pitcher Chandler Hall finally saw the floodgates open on her with a two-RBI single from pinch-hitter Jordan Vanatta. To add insult to injury, another inaccurate Parten throw brought another run home in the 6th inning, and a Jenna Emery blast to the right-field wall was robbed by Megan Turk on an amazing highlight-reel catch in the 7th inning. At this point, Bobcat fans probably felt like they were thrust into the twilight zone as they saw Baylor do to Texas State almost what Texas State did to Northwestern the day before.

Oddly enough, Chandler Hall (25-10) had fewer earned runs on the day than her Baylor counterpart Whitney Canion (26-16), as the two pitchers had 2 and 4, respectively. However, Texas State lost this game because they were unable to execute on the offensive and defensive ends. A breakout of Bobcat bats was wasted as 9 runners were left on base despite 12 hits tallied; the main mistakes committed by the offense were some uncharacteristic struggles in base-running in addition to seven strikeouts that were mainly the product of batters fishing for pitches they had no business swinging at. Also, the uncharacteristic defensive errors that directly or indirectly brought home four runs will obviously leave a sour taste in this team's mouth.

The Bobcats will now have to climb a steep hill to win the Waco Regional as they first have to defeat a salty top 25 team in Louisiana-Lafayette tomorrow at 12:30 pm to stay alive. Then, they'll have to take on Baylor again as the rain delay forced the 6:30 pm loser's bracket game scheduled for Saturday night to be rescheduled to Sunday at 3:00 pm. If they win that game, they'll get to play--guess who?--Baylor once again at 5:30 pm on Sunday. Three potential games in one day? It's pretty clear that the NCAA dropped the ball on this one by not scheduling an extra day in case of a rainout. However, if there's any team that can fight through adversity like this, it's Texas State, so tune in tomorrow on 89.9 KTSW, ktsw.net and txstatebobcats.com as we will have maximum coverage of the softball team's progress throughout the day.

- Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Bobcats Fire On All Cylinders, Crush #12 Northwestern in NCAA Regional

The word is being spread all over the country on ESPN, message boards and by word of mouth: Texas State didn't just upset the 12th-seeded Northwestern Wildcats in the NCAA Softball Tournament, they obliterated them. An 8-0 run-rule decision in 5 innings by the Bobcats over the Wildcats in the Waco Regional at Baylor University has suddenly propelled this team into the national spotlight, raising the eyebrows of many national analysts who deemed this regional the toughest in the country. Despite all that, Texas State players will tell you that they expected to win this game from the start, and their confidence shone through on the diamond today.

So what made what some billed as a potential slugfest and what others predicted as a pitcher's duel turn into a run-rule laugher? The deciding variable can be described in one word: Execution. Texas State had it when things mattered the most, while Northwestern did not. A healthy dose of dominant Texas State pitching and defense stifled a normally explosive Northwestern lineup, while crisp base-running and timely hitting got the job done on offense despite only having four hits and leaving 9 runners on base on the day. Meanwhile, bad pitching and shockingly wobbly fielding by the players from Chicago brought home a flood of Texas State runs and frustrated the Northwestern players. The end result was the first run-rule decision by a Southland Conference team over an opponent in any NCAA Softball Tournament in history.

Northwestern starting pitcher Lauren Delaney (29-11 overall) walked a batter to start off every single inning, and ended up with 11 walks overall. Her first tendency was to try to get the Texas State batters to chase on high, inaccurate riser pitches, which was initially successful until Coach Woodard got her players to patiently wait and watch ball after ball be thrown. She then looked for something, anything that would work, and the only reward she got was a Bobcat explosion in the 4th inning as Texas State put up a 6-spot on a combination of solid hitting and poor fielding by catcher Erin Dyer as her two errors brought a couple of runs home.

Texas State starting pitcher Chandler Hall, meanwhile, looked back to her old self after a shaky yet impressive performance at the SLC tournament. A seemingly time-stopping change-up turned the heads of just about everyone watching, while her blazing fastball caught some of the Wildcat players off guard. The victory improves her already impressive overall record to 25-9 and drops her ERA to a mind-blowing 0.98 mark.

Watching Hall turn in such a dominant performance with a one-hitter at an NCAA Regional against a nationally ranked team was the stuff of legend. However, it wasn't just the one-hitter that got the sizable contingent of maroon and gold in the stands on their feet early and often. Fans were treated to a diving catch by Ryan Kos in the top of the 5th in addition to split-second plays at the plate in the 1st and 4th innings that showcased the Bobcats' base-running skills and kept the innings alive.

Texas State improves to 40-16 and will continue their magical run tomorrow at 1:30 pm against host Baylor, who scraped through with a controversial late-inning 2-1 win over the #25 Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns earlier this evening. The Bobcats already notched a 2-0 victory in Waco over the Bears in the regular season, and since this Texas State team knows that they can consistently beat Big 12 squads their confidence should be riding high. You can listen to the Cats attempt to make it two in a row against their in-state foes on 89.9 KTSW, ktsw.net as well as txstatebobcats.com.

- Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Aggies Blast Bobcats in Top 25 Slugfest

The #25 Texas State Bobcat Baseball team notched a two-run home run shot in the top of the first inning, but saw the lead vanish as the #15 Texas A&M Aggies put up 10 runs in the first three innings to overtake the Cats 13-4 on a humid Tuesday evening.

The Bobcats rode into College Station, TX, riding high off of their thrilling bottom of the 9^th inning comeback win to clinch the Southland Conference regular season championship against Nicholls State this past Sunday. With the momentum of that game, one could only expect that the Cats would continue to impress fans and voters that the Bobcats are for real.

It was evident the game would be a home run fest when Keith Prestridge hit a two-run home run to start the game off in the top of the 1^st inning. Fist pumps for all Bobcat fans alike as the Aggie crowd stared on searching for a new heckle to get their minds off the towering home run shot to right center.

Although the Aggie fans were down, the Aggie players answered big loading the bases in the bottom of the first when designated hitter Joe Paterson hit a blast over the left field wall to get a grand slam. It was dry bread salami time for the home team and they never gave a crumb of left over for Texas State, as the sun seemed to set along with the Cats' chances for a victory.

Following the Aggies four-run 1^st inning, three runs were put up in the 2^nd and three more were put up in the 3^rd to give Texas A&M a demanding lead going into the 4^th, 10-3.

The somewhat un-characteristically bad pitching from Garret Carruth and Tyler Brundrigde really threw the Cats for a loop in the beginning of the game leaving a lot of make-up work for their bats. Although one would think the Bobcats line up is good enough for the task, starting Aggie pitcher Clayton Ehlert pitched a solid six innings striking out 6 batters while frustrating the Cats’ bats leaving seven runners stranded on bags throughout the rest of the game.

The six game win streak was snapped for Texas State but with the last series coming up against Southland foe the UT-Arlington Mavericks this weekend, Bobcat fans are sure to see Coach Harrington’s ball club going into the Southland Conference tournament with a 40-win regular season.

The Cats take the field this Thursday with the first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. You can catch all the updates by going to txstatebobcats.com.

- James McNeal, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Texas State Softball: Waco Regional Bound

A day after grabbing a dramatic comeback win over McNeese State to win the Southland Conference Tournament, the Texas State softball team learned tonight of their postseason fate during the 2009 NCAA Division 1 Softball Selection Show on ESPNU. In what many analysts are likening to a meat-grinder of a bracket, the Bobcats will join two top 25 teams in Northwestern and Louisiana-Lafayette and a familiar Big 12 foe in Baylor at the Waco Regional starting this Friday. The Bobcat players will tell you that they welcome a challenge, and well, they certainly were handed one by the NCAA selection committee. After having a few days to rest up, Texas State will be thrown into the fire as they face the 12-seeded Northwestern Wildcats in their first game of the double-elimination regional on Friday at 5 pm.

Northwestern University, out of Chicago (not Natchitoches, that's Northwestern State), was oddly not picked to host the regional despite having the top overall seed of the four teams headed to Waco. The Wildcats sport an overall record of 31-13 and finished with a 14-6 Big Ten record to finish third in their conference standings. It may not sound like much, but keep in mind that the Big Ten saw 6 of its 11 participants receive bids to the NCAA tournament. This team will easily be one of the toughest that Texas State has faced all year, as the 12th-ranked Wildcats have consistently beaten elite competition in #7 Arizona, #8 Tennessee (twice), #6 Oklahoma, #23 Iowa (twice), and Big Ten conference champion and 8th-ranked Michigan twice.

Northwestern also has two players that are batting over .400 on the season in Tammy Williams and Adrienne Monka, and what's even scarier is that 5 different players have hit over 10 home runs for this Wildcat squad. This opening matchup will likely be the greatest test that Chandler Hall or Katie Garnett will have on the year, if not in their entire careers. Ace pitcher Lauren Delaney has far and away received the most starts for Northwestern, as she sports a 29-10 record with a 2.55 ERA while recording an insane 306 strikeouts on the season. However, if Delaney gets in trouble against Texas State, the Bobcats could exploit a potential weakness in this otherwise-loaded Northwestern team, as their backup options at pitcher are not nearly as experienced or proficient at mowing down hitters.

Host Baylor (37-20, 11-7 Big 12), who Texas State defeated 2-0 in Waco this season, is also going to have a tough opening foe of their own in #25 Louisiana-Lafayette (38-10, 18-5 SBC). While the Ragin' Cajuns' resume is not nearly as impressive as Northwestern's, ULL still plowed through the Sun Belt Conference this season in a manner not much different than how Texas State mowed down the Southland. Baylor finished 3rd in a tough Big 12 Conference and has victories against teams such as the #1 Florida Gators, #9 Oklahoma, and Texas.

The Bobcats will face one of these two teams regardless of whether they win or lose to Northwestern on Friday since the regional format is double elimination, so Coach Woodard & company will no doubt be keeping an eye on both squads. The winner of the Waco Regional will advance to the Superregionals to take on the winner of the Ann Arbor Regional, but Texas State has their work cut out for them if they want to get there.

Obviously, there will be a number of questions in the minds of Bobcat fans heading into this weekend. Will we see the Texas State team that took down Texas, Texas A&M, Houston and Baylor or the Texas State team that lost heartbreakers to UTSA, SFA, Texas Tech and North Texas? Will fans see some more stellar pitching from SLC Tournament MVP Chandler Hall, or some additional late-inning heroics by Ryan Kos, Alyce Rother or Leah Boatright? Will an unsung hero play a big role for the Bobcats? You can find out this weekend if you drive to watch the Bobcat softball squad take on some of the best teams in the country in Waco next weekend, or you can listen to the games on txstatebobcats.com, and possibly 89.9 FM and ktsw.net if the games are not at the same time as the 2009 Graduation Broadcast on KTSW.

- Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Bobcat Baseball Wins the Southland Conference

It couldn't have been more dramatic at Bobcat Field Sunday afternoon.

Colonel starting pitcher, Ryan Cooper, held the Bobcats to only one run through five innings. The Bobcat bats finally came to life in the 6th when Lance Loftin hit a two run triple, Jason Martinson followed with an RBI double and Kyle Kubitza hit a RBI single to give the Bobcats a one run lead; that would spell the end for Cooper. Nicholls responded with two runs in the 8th to regain the lead. The Bobcats went scoreless in the 8th and Nicholls was held scoreless in the top of the 9th.

The stage was set for a dramatic win. The Bobcats went in to the bottom of the 9th down by one, and had the top of the lineup due to bat. Tyler Sibley got it started when he reached 1st on a high chopper in front of home plate. The ball bounced 20 feet in the air and once Colonel closer, Ross Larson, got a handle on it, it was too late. Bret Atwood bunted Sibley over to 2nd. Paul Goldschmidt came up and ripped a double down the 3rd base line scoring Sibley from 2nd and tying the game. With Goldschmidt representing the winning run and standing on 2nd base, Spenser Dennis came to the plate. Dennis smacked the first pitch he saw into right field and drove in Goldschmidt from 2nd to secure the win. Colonel right fielder, Jacob Knight, made a diving effort to catch Dennis' hit ball, however, once it rolled past his glove the Bobcat dugout exploded onto the field and dogpiled in celebration. Lance Loftin lead the Bobcat offense by going 2 for 3 with three RBI and a run. Goldschmidt finished with two hits, one RBI and three runs.

Bobcat starting pitcher, Zach Tritz, went 5.1 innnings giving up three unearned runs on 11 hits; he added five strikeouts. Lance Loftin pitched 2.1 innings of relief, he gave up three runs, two earned on five hits; he added two strikeouts. Michael Russo closed the game out for the Bobcats and earned the win to move to 3-2 on the season. Larson earned the loss.

Nicholls had 17 hits to Texas State's 13. Goldschmidt, Dennis, Loftin, Martinson and Kubitza all had at least one RBI. Dennis finished the game hitting .423. The Bobcat defense was sloppy at times as they committed three errors. Texas State improves to 37-12 (23-6 SLC) with the victory, and Nicholls drops to 18-31(8-22 SLC). The baseball team will take a trip to College Station to face the nationally ranked Aggies on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.. You can catch all the action on 89.9 FM KTSW, KTSW.net, or txstatebobcats.com.

- Thomas Courtney, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Rock the Boat: Late Inning Fireworks Clinch SLC Tournament Title

Hitless through the top of the seventh inning, Leah Boatright and Ryan Kos said bye-bye to the no-no with two solo home runs to spark the Bobcats to a heroic 2009 Southland Conference Tournament title over McNeese State University, 2-1. This championship is the second under head coach Ricci Woodard since 2001, and with the win Texas State earns an automatic bid into an NCAA Regional.

Chandler Hall started on the circle for the 'Cats for the third consecutive game and sets a perfect 3-0 tournament record in her freshman year. Hall also earned the Most Valuable Player award to accompany her All-SLC Tournament Team honor. Kos, Boatright, Alyce Rother and Taylor Hall also received plaques to signify the same titles.

Hall gave up a lead off home run in the bottom of the first to left fielder Lindsey Langer, a towering shot into the right centerfield gap to give the Cowgirls an early 1-0 lead. The infield quickly gathered on the circle to regroup and drown out the Cowgirl fans, who had been yelling non-stop for (what seemed like) three days. The game would remain the same as the 'Cats could not muster a single hit for 6 and 1/3 innings, nor could the girls get any kind of momentum rolling in their favor. Kristina Tello was the only Bobcat player to stand on the base paths on a walk. But in the seventh, Boatright led off with a moonshot over the scoreboard in left to tie the game at one, and two batters later, Ryan Kos cranked another to straight-away center field to grab the lead, and that was all she wrote. The 2-1 victory improves Hall's record to 24-9.

There were some late inning thrills to come in the home half of the seventh, as center fielder Liz Morvant reached second on an errant throw by Jenna Emery at third. The next batter grounded softly to the same spot where Emery stared the runner back at second. Morvant smacked her hands in frustration as the possible tying run, but she would reach third base on an infield ground out to second. Cowgirl second baseman Holly Long was McNeese's last hope. She cued one off the end of the bat down the first base line, where Hall picked it up trying to avoid a collision with the runner, and fired to first base for the final out.

McNeese starting pitcher Bethany Stefinsky nearly led her Cowgirls to a no-no against UTSA in the first game of the tournament before surrendering a hit in the sixth in what would have been her first career no-hitter. Stefinsky still made history though when she broke McNeese State's single season strikeout record against Sam Houston State earlier Saturday afternoon, setting the final total at 303 later after retiring eleven Bobcats with the K. The loss ends her season record at 21-16.

Against Texas State, Stefinsky walked just one, while her defense committed one error behind her. Kos and Boatright ruined one dream to make their own dreams come true: in April, Kos said two plays she wanted to make in her career were to hit a grand slam and to crank a walk-off winner. The Slam is the only one on that list she hasn't checked, and after the title game, Kos said that her seventh inning game-winner is just as sweet, if not sweeter than anything.

The long ball got the job done for Texas State in 2009, as five of the six total runs scored in the tournament were out of the ball park. Only McKenzie Baack scored from third on a base hit to the outfield. These home runs, and this style of play, proves exactly why the Bobcats are a tremendous championship team. The never-say-die attitude started in the dug out, and assistant coach Peejay Brun said after the game about Boatright's homerun, "I was thinking before that at-bat, it's about time for her to get a hit." Call it luck, call it confidence, or just call it a Southland Conference Tournament Championship.

Texas State's record boosts to 39-16 this season, but there's more to come. The girls await ESPNU.com's announcement of the NCAA Regional Bracket set-up Sunday, May 10 at 9:00 p.m.

- Mason Robinson, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Message Sent: Bobcats Crush Colonels to Win Series

The Bobcats defeated the Nicholls Colonels on Saturday 10-2. They were led by Brian Borski who went 8 innings giving up only 7 hits allowing only 2 runs to cross homeplate.

The Cats started the scoring early as they got 6 runs in the bottom of the first inning. Three of those runs came when Kyle Kubitza hit a three run home run scoring Kyle Livingstone and Ben Theriot. The Cats turned around and scored in the bottom of the second inning win Paul Goldschmidt hit a solo homerun to centerfield.

The Colonels scored one of their 2 runs in the second inning when Keith Kulbeth scored on a sacrifice fly hit by Jacob Knight. Both side threatened throughout the game, but were unable to score any runs until the sixth inning when Kulbeth hit a homerun. His home run was the last time a Colonel would score. In the bottom half of the sixth Keith Prestridge hit a bases clearing double to give the Bobcats 10 runs.

Mitchell Pitts came on in the ninth to close the door giving Texas State the win. With that win the Bobcats are only one victory away from clinching the SLC regular season championship. The winning pitcher for Saturday was Brian Borski and the loss went to Tyler Minto. Game 3 of the series will be Sunday at 1 P.M. as the Cats will be looking for the series sweep. You can listen to the game on 89.9 KTSW and also listen online at txstatebobcats.com or ktsw.net.

- TJ Ladusky, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Rother Plays the Hero Again; Bobcats Play for SLC Crown

Alyce Rother rocked her second home run in as many days to roll the Bobcats through a hard fought game and into the SLC Tournament Championship, Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

The match-up was crucial for both teams requiring the winner to win one game in the Championship to take home the SLC Crown. The winner of the tournament gets an automatic bid into an NCAA regional. The loser must win three straight to take the title.

Rother's first at bat in the second was agressive, swinging hard through several fastballs inside, fouling a few off. She skied one to center for a long fly out in that AB, but in the bottom of the fifth, she took a hanging curveball and neatly placed it between the left field foul pole and the scoreboard behind the left field wall to grab the lead 1-0. The Bobcat sophomore left fielder leads the tournament with two longballs, her only two of the 2009 season. Initially, there was doubt as to whether or not the ball would play fair or foul, with the wind blowing mildly to left. Off the bat, it tailed toward the line, but straightened out and Cowgirl left fielder Claire Terracina had to watch it go as the game's only RBI for either team. It truly was a pitcher's duel as only four other Bobcats had base hits on the day.

Bethany Stefinski started for tournament host McNeese State and came out strong, striking out six. Stefinsky sits two strikeouts shy of McNeese State's all-time career strikeout record of 286 headed into tomorrow's matchup with Sam Houston State. With today's loss her record falls to 20-15.

Bobcat starter Chandler Hall was shaky for the majority of the game from what seemed to be just nerves. She won Thursday's affair against Stephen F. Austin in another inconsistent effort, and Friday, Hall seemed to be unable to find the zone. Still, Hall gave up but three hits, walking two. An intense competitor who doesn't show much emotion, she induced several fly outs, pop outs and ground outs in key situations, many times with a runner at second or third with fewer than two outs. Getting out these jams left five Cowgirls stranded on the bags, thanks to the same game plan as game one. For both of starts, she's stayed away from right handers with the fastball and inside to the same with a change up or curveball that disappears from hitters. Her drop ball to lefties got some knees to buckle. More Cowgirls went fishing for balls out of the zone tha the SFA Lady 'Jacks the day before. Two of the last three batters Hall faced went down on strike outs to round out a tally of seven on the day. Nonetheless, her usual dominance just hasn't been at the ballpark during the trip, even with her perfect 2-0 tournament record. Still, she's a freshman without a loss over the weekend. Give her time and she's sure to bring some hardware back to San Marcos.

McNeese State's fans were loud. Louder than any of the Bobcat fans had been until the fifth inning (thanks to Rother's dinger). And about half of the Cowgirl players were antsy at the plate. Compare that to the Bobcat's smooth demeanor, the calm nerves might equate to the final 1-0 score. But don't take anything away from this ball club -- the line up packs a tremendous punch, and the Cowgirls are still in the tournament from the loser's bracket. They play Sam Houston State Saturday morning at eleven o'clock after Sam Houston eliminated UT-San Antonio with a 4-1 win, and the winner of the McNeese/Sam Houston match-up will have to beat Texas State twice to win the championship.

The first pitch at 1:30 p.m. airs live on 89.9 FM KTSW and also on TxStateBobcats.com. Pregame begins at 1:15 and live video is available at Southland.org.

- Mason Robinson, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Back-to-back Long Balls Push Bobcats to Second Round of SLC Tournament

Ryan Kos and Alyce Rother packed a punch along with their bags for the Bobcats' first game of the SLC Softball Conference Tournament in Lake Charles, Louisiana, for a 3-1 win Thursday over Stephen F. Austin. Chandler Hall went the distance in seven innings, allowing one run on four hits and striking out six. She allowed six walks as well, a concerning issue, as the freshman righty was all over the place and will most likely get the call to start the third game of the tournament. Fastballs and off speed pitches alike were not hitting the outside edge to right handed hitters, forcing Hall to press and over throw the ball.

Megan Parten behind the plate did a good job of keeping balls in front of her and hopping to her feet when Hall sent one way up top. Hall came out strong, but not confident, in the first inning to retire the side in order. Call it first time nerves. By the middle innings, Hall was experiencing control issues, but the Lady 'Jacks had a difficult time keeping the ball fair. Attribute this to the fact that Hall gave them nothing worth hitting, and when she did, it was a fly out or a weak ground ball in the infield. Hall's inconsistency proved to be beneficial to her team; the Lady 'Jacks had no clue what to swing at or which pitch was coming, and after a while when they pulled the trigger, it wasn't worth swinging anyway. The fifth inning ended on a check swing strike out, and the final batter of the game was called out on a beautiful curve ball outside, despite the check swing.

The Bobcats found life in McKenzie Baack, Ryan Kos and Alyce Rother at the bottom of the lineup as they scored the team's three RBIs on the day. Baack led off the home half of the second frame with a double to the left centerfield wall, and Kos moved her to third with a sac bunt, something she's been called upon to do often this season. Alyce Rother rocked a 2-2 pitch into the gap in right, scoring the runner. Later in the fourth, Kos and Rother got production moving in a big way. Kos can play a good game of small-ball, sure, and she can launch 275-foot home runs as well. McNeese State's scoreboard in left is easily 25 feet tall, and the little yellow dot sailed well over it onto the neighboring soccer field just beyond the wall. By the time her fifth dinger of the season came back into orbit, Monika Covington came from the 'pen to replace starter Lauren Luetge. Rother promptly sent a line drive into the scoreboard itself, boosting the Bobcat lead to 3-1, with a true "ding" to the dinger, indeed. Rother's timing was good -- kinda. This was her her first homer of the season. But hey, she'll take it. Luetge was credited with the loss, surrendering two runs on five hits.

Despite giving up the second long ball in a row, Covington, a tall, thin left hander, made the rest of the 'Cat lineup look silly. Her fastball had more life than many of the pitchers coach Woodard's girls have seen. Attribute that to her long arms and strong wrist action. That action got her breaking pitches to spin the 'Cat hitters into the ground. Covington's fantastic movement sent balls through the backdoor to most right handed hitters and her curve ball started at the hitter's eyes halfway to the catcher, ending up pin the dirt at the plate. She K'd six and only walked one in 2 and 2/3 innings.

In the top of the seventh, Hall started to look tired and saw a few more thrills when she got two quick outs and proceeded to walk one. With a runner on and the tying run at bat, SFA short stop Ashley Struchtmeye hit a deep fly ball foul. And deep means deeper than Kos's fair shot. Struchtmeye eventually drew a walk, and Hall struck out the next batter to seal the win, 3-1. The victorious pitcher ended up throwing nearly as many balls as strikes, but her inconsistency paid off, which is usually not the case for any pitcher. Make that a case for Hall to earn SLC Softball Player of the Year... next year.

Texas State takes the field against host team McNeese State, the No. 2 seed for the tournament, Friday. The Cowgirls hold a 1-2 edge over the 'Cats during the 2009 regular season. Friday's first pitch is slated for 4:00 p.m. with live video and stats on Southland.org. But for all the play-by-play action and pre-game analysis, tune into 89.9 FM KTSW or TxStateBobcats.com at 3:45 p.m.

- Mason Robinson, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Texas State Baseball Coos Owls Back to Roost with 4-1 Win.

Overbearing. Dominant. Completely in control. The Owls' wings were clipped from the first inning in Tuesday night's 4-1 win over No. 2 Rice by the Texas State baseball club, keeping the Bobcats among the Top-30 NCAA rankings.
In the past, some fans complained that head coach Ty Harrington didn't take non-conference games seriously, as if they were throw away games to get some experience under the belts of non-starters. When the Bobcats clearly dominated, thanks to coaching efforts by Harrington -- the 10-year vet was in the crew chief's face more than twice last night -- it became clear that this was more than "just" a non-conference road game.

Reckling Park near downtown Houston happily hosted two quick strikeouts from freshman starter Andrew Banak in the Navy and White. But with two outs, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt took a curve ball off of his front shoulder to reach first base, and was sent rumbling home by DH Keith Prestridge's double to right. Spenser Dennis continued the rally with his usual first-pitch smash up the middle, this time nearly taking Banak's knee caps with it and earning his only RBI on the day. With a 2-0 lead, catcher Ben Theriot followed in suit with a line shot to the same spot, just past a flinching Banak, making the opposition's call to the bullpen easier. Veteran Owls coach Wayne Graham called for Mark Haynes, and the right handed junior induced a quick ground out to end the inning. Banak took the loss and is 1-1 for the year.

Garret Carruth was wild on the mound to start the home half of the first, allowing the Owls to rally with a walk, a double to the wall and a hit batsman. With the bases loaded, the junior transfer got a fly out and a ground out to get out of it, and he settled in nicely for the next five, holding the 2003 NCAA champs to seven hits in six innings. Carruth drops his ERA to 4.58 on the season in his fourth win. Rice Owl hitters averaged around seven runs per game coming into Tuesday's match up, hitting .313 as a team. After Carruth ran through its lineup, the 13-time Conference USA champs hit .218 on the evening, leaving eight runners stranded. The young hurler spun most of the Owls into the ground by mixing his pitches all over the strike zone. And despite getting behind in most of the counts with the batters he faced, Carruth was most impressive with his ability to execute the right pitch at the right time to force a ground out or fly out when needed. Every once in a while, the G-man would sweep an enormous slider toward the outside edge of the plate, but it moved so much that for the most part it swept completely in front of the plate. Oh, and not to mention that unhittable inside change up. Owl fans didn't appreciate all the called strikes. Carruth evaded a big jam in the sixth with two runners on with a 1-3 double play, and the entire Bobcat bench cleared for a celebratory greeting along the third base line, led by assistant coach Derek Matlock. Chest bumps and fist pumps abounded. This was now a different game.

Diego Seastrunk, the DH during the game and usually a catcher/infielder, came in for 1 and 2/3 innings of work, striking out two in his own response to the Bobcat message. His timing was perfect, throwing the Bobcats' timing completely out of whack. Seastrunk touched the low 90-mph mark with his fast ball, seemingly his only pitch for the first inning of work. Even with the heat, he was more of a quarterback than a pitcher; it was more an issue of throwing overpowering fastballs than actual pitching. He mixed in a few good breaking pitches and the Bobcats only managed one hit and no runs. Rice's big hitter, cleanup third baseman Anthony Rendón, was the usual spark for the offense, going 2-for-3 with a K. Most of the rest of the lineup was unable to produce enough to drive him in, leaving him stranded two times out of the team's eight. Michael Fuda, starting left fielder, went 2-for-4 and was driven in by Ryan Lewis in the fourth for the only Rice RBI of the night. The fifth inning would prove to be the icing on the cake when the heart of the Bobcat order in Prestridge, Dennis and Theriot singled in order, with The Riot credited with the third RBI on the day. Jason Martinson drew a walk to expand the lead to 4-1.

Coach Graham's most impressive arm out of the 'pen was Jordan Rogers, who pitched 2/3 of an inning, giving up a hit. Rogers' outstanding pickoff move nearly caught Goldschmidt snoozing at second base twice, and his curve ball was very demonstrative, knocking even the best Bobcat hitters on their laurels. Dennis went 3-for-5 with three singles, an RBI and a strike out. When Dennis and Rogers faced off, the Owl reliever made him look silly, throwing his balance off completely with several defensive swings without any of the usual Spartan-like strength Bobcat fans are used to. Not to be outdone, Tyler Brundridge came in to relieve Carruth after that sixth inning jam. Big B tossed three perfect innings for the save, striking out three. Usually Brundridge will go no more than two innings, but as effective as he was, the call to keep him in for another round was more than reasonable. Brundridge got the strike out looking on the final batter of the game for the 4-1 Bobcat win.

With the W, Texas State's RPI climbs toward the .580 mark, and the Bobcats are ranked 28th in the nation. Should the Bobcats end the season on a winning note, there is a high likelihood that the 'Cats will earn an at-large bid into an NCAA Regional, of course in an effort to reach the College World Series. This win sent the Bobcats home happy and confident. Phone calls to friends and family happily boasted the win over Rice, mostly because of what beating a prominent Rice team means. In 2007, freshman outfielder Laurn Randall won the home opener at Bobcat Field against then No. 1 Rice with a walk-off single in the ninth. Tuesday's win, with so much more on the line, and with a better 2009 team at that, is special. And with years of CWS experience in coach Ty Harrington, having played and coached for University of Texas baseball legend Cliff Gustafson in those seasons, there is much promise for a budding program on its way up. This ball club is an offensive freak show, but leaving runners on base is a bit of a concern for many fans. In this match-up, eleven were left standing. But realize that with all the balls spraying around the yard, a team is bound to leave a few guys scratching their heads.

The Bobcats improve their record in 2009 to 34-12 overall, still 20-6 in Southland competition. Texas State holds a 2 and 1/2 game lead over Southeastern Louisiana, 3 and 1/2 games over UT-Arlington. UTA beat No. 17 University of Oklahoma 8-5 on Tuesday as well, and senior Andrew Kainer set the new all-time SLC consecutive games hit streak mark at 35 games on Sunday. The Bobcats travel to Clay Gould Ballpark to take on the Mavs to close the season next week, but before that, coach Harrington and his boys host Nicholls State in San Marcos. Game one with the 8-19 Colonels opens up Wed., May 8 at 6:30 p.m. with live play-by-play coverage on 89.9 FM KTSW and also on TxStateBobcats.com.

Mason Robinson, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Take Weekend Series with 5-3 Extra Innings Win

The Bobcats defeated the UTSA Road Runners on Sunday in a game dominated by great pitching and defense. The Bobcats won 5-3 in 11 innings, winning this weekend's series.

In the first inning, both pitchers Brian Borski and Anthony Benedict dominated, sitting down the first three batters in order.

In the second inning, however, the Bobcats pounced early as Spenser Dennis led-off with a double in the right centerfield gap. The next batter, Lance Loftin, hit a towering two-run homerun over the scoreboard in left field to give the Cats a 2-0 lead. Following Loftin’s home-run, Jason Martinson hit another, making the score 3-0. That was the last time the Cats would score until the eleventh.

The Road Runners in that inning countered when Michael Rockett hit a homerun down the left field line. Then, when Lance Brown came to bat, he smashed a triple into the right centerfield gap. Brown scored on a Tyler Carpenter sac fly.

The rest of the game was dominated by good pitching. The Bobcats chased the starter Benedict out after the second inning. However, the reliever Ryan Proudfoot came in and shot the 'Cats down.

Brian Borski pitched a great game, shutting down the Road Runners until the 6th inning, when Ryan Rummel scored, tying the game at 3 a piece. The score remained this way until the eleventh inning, when Kyle Kubitza scored on a Tyler Sibley single. Sibley scored on a wild pitch, making the score 5-3.

The Bobcats improve to a 20-6 record in SLC play, and the Road Runners fall to 15-12.

The Bobcats take on the Rice Owls on Tuesday at 6:30. That game will be broadcast on 89.9 KTSW.

TJ Ladusky, KTSW Sports Staff Writer