Bobcat Baseball Shocks Lamar With Five Run Comeback

Lamar tacked on two runs in the top of the 7th inning to go up 7-3, and the already sluggish Bobcats looked defeated. Reliever Mitchell Pitts was able to stop the bleeding in the top of the 8th in stead of the struggling Carson Smith, but the dormant Bobcat crowd was unconvinced that the 'Cats could come back. Then, in the bottom of the 8th, you blinked...and Texas State was up by a run. Garrett Carruth would then get the save in the top 9th by retiring the side to pull off the stunning 8-7 comeback for the Bobcats.

The ballgame started out with Carson Smith giving up two straight singles and Lamar bringing home a runner on a sacrifice grounder-turned-double play. Texas State's Kyle Livingstone answered with a triple, and Kyle Kubitza blooped a single to right field to knot the game at one apiece. It seemed as if the tone was set for a knock-down-drag-out slugfest after the first inning, and the two Smith ace pitchers--Carson Smith for Texas State, Mattison Smith for Lamar--made sure things stayed that way until the 5th inning. Texas State was able to manufacture another run off of a perfect Bret Atwood bunt in the third, but the two pitchers managed to only give up six hits between them between the 2nd and 4th innings.

Then, in the 5th, disaster struck.

Carson Smith had looked like he had finally gotten in a groove for Texas State, striking out four and keeping any Lamar runners away from home plate. Ted Zentek vaporized Smith's rhythm by sending a shot to center field that resulted in a stand-up double. Lamar then teed off on Smith, taking advantage of his lack of control for walks, wild pitches, singles, and, most importantly, a three-run homer by the previously ineffective designated hitter Wade Mathis. Bobcat head coach Ty Harrington got some of his relievers working in the pen, but he decided to leave his starter in until the 7th inning despite the 5-2 deficit. The 'Cat bats, meanwhile, were largely ineffective throughout the midsection of the game.

Texas State scored a run in the 6th and went into the top of the 7th trailing 5-3. That's when Lamar poured it on Smith and the 'Cat fielders. Outstanding Lamar shortstop Aaron Buchanan lifted the third of eventually four lead-off hits into left field, and he was immediately knocked home by Clayton Farhat on a well-traveled double. Ryan Meade later executed a sacrifice fly to center field that sent home Farhat, although it seemed that Farhat was obviously out on the tag at the plate. The Bobcat crowd was furious and the most vocal it had been all day, which was a bit of a sad representation of how the game had gone thus far for Texas State. Smith was pulled in the 8th, Mitchell Pitts avoided a two-base jam in the top half of the inning, and then everything changed.

After an Atwood pop-out, Kyle Livingstone then stepped into the batter's box, staying calm and focused despite the four run deficit. Mattison Smith, outstanding all day for Lamar, then made his biggest mistake of the evening: He gave Livingstone a chance in the strike zone. The senior first baseman smashed a meatball over towards the Bobcat softball complex in left field, and the floodgates opened. Kyle Kubitza seized the momentum, singled, and Martinson tripled home Kubitza to bring the score to 7-5. Mattison Smith's day was done, and Garrett Steward came in to stop the bleeding. At first, it looked like he would.

Shaun Garcia struck out with Martinson on third, and the wind was momentarily taken out of the sails of the maroon-clad fans at Bobcat field. Then, another struggling player found a way to execute, and it made all the difference. Jeff McVaney, previously 0 of 3 on the day, blooped into left field to score Martinson. Lamar's Steward then melted down and could not find a sweet spot, and Andrew Stumph took advantage with an RBI single. Steward was quickly pulled for Taylor McInnis, and he somehow managed to look as twice as bad as Steward. McInnis managed three pitches before a wild pitch brought home the leading run in Aaron Burnett. The LU pitcher was likely distracted by the speedy Laurn Randell on his way to second on an attempted steal. After McInnis made his unceremonious exit, Kyle Livingstone strolled back to the plate for the second at-bat of the inning. He saw a stunning 8-7 Bobcat lead, bases loaded, and a golden opportunity. However, maybe the baseball gods decided that five runs were enough, as Livingstone popped out to short to end the inning.

Then, it became Garrett Carruth's time. The senior from Lewisville turned in arguably his strongest outing of the season in the top of the 9th, freezing the Lamar batters in a three-up, three-down whimper of a final effort for the Cardinals. A joyous Bobcat dugout celebrated at midfield, and the electrified Texas State crowd tried to take in the improbable comeback. In his postgame interview, Coach Harrington stated that Jeff McVaney's RBI single was the biggest catalyst in the 5-run comeback, as it sparked the Bobcat dugout and gave the whole team confidence. He also tempered the excitement by noting that starting pitcher Carson Smith "didn't have his best stuff today" and that the team still has a long way to go to stay consistent.

With the win, the 'Cats improve to 12-8 and 5-2 in the SLC, while Lamar falls to 15-7, 2-5 SLC. The two teams will face off again on Saturday at 2 pm, you can listen to the game live on KTSW 89.9 FM and ktsw.net at 1:45 pm for pre-game coverage.

-Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor