College Baseball: Bobcats bounce back after lopsided loss

Texas State sophomore shortstop Garrett Mattlage makes a throw to first in the Bobcats’ Friday night loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Bobcats bounced back to beat the Islanders, 5-2 on Saturday and will conclude the three-game series today at noon. (Photo by Gerald Castillo)

After giving up 23 runs in Friday‘s loss series-opening loss to Texas A&-Corpus Christi — the second-most allowed in program history — there was only one option for the Texas State Bobcats.

Forget and move on.

Which is exactly what Texas State did Saturday afternoon, bouncing back with a 5-3 victory over the Islanders at Bobcat Ballpark.

“This team has so much adversity and they haven’t had the success they want and are going to have,” Texas State head coach Ty Harrington said. “To take a pretty good ass-whooping, which is what last night was, and come back today and play good was nice to see, considering everything that has happened this season.”

After allowing giving up eight hits and committing four errors in the opener, the Bobcats were much more sound on Saturday. Texas State gave up 10 hits but forced the Islanders (10-8) to strand nine runners while committing only two errors.

Junior right-hander Scott Grist (1-1) picked up the win on the hill for the Bobcats, allowing two runs off eight hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Junior reliever Hunter Lemke got his first save of the season, holding the Islanders hitless for 1 2/3 innings.

Texas State (6-13) racked up six hits off the Islanders, playing its first game without senior catcher/first baseman Andrew Stumph, who suffered an leg injury Friday night that could keep him out of action for more than six weeks.

“Anytime you lose a player like that, it’s tough,” Harrington said. “We’re just going to have to see who can step up and assume his role.”

Senior Morgan Mikan gave the Bobcats the early lead in the second with a two-run double down the left-field line, as junior Austin O’Neal doubled in a run in the bottom of the third to give Texas State a 3-0 lead.

The Bobcats added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth thanks to sophomore Garrett Mattlage’s RBI single to right-center field and a RBI sacrifice fly from O’Neal.

The series finale is scheduled for today at noon. It marks Texas State’s final game before beginning Western Athletic Conference play Friday at New Mexico State.

“Every win is big for us now and tomorrow will be huge if we can come out and play well,” Harrington said. “I want this team to capture what it’s like to play well all the way through. We have been on the verge of putting together a complete game a few times and were close today, so hopefully that will happen tomorrow.”

Texas State junior Kyle Finnegan (1-1, 5.48 ERA) will face off against the A&M-CC senior left-hander Adam Hoelscher (1-1, 4.57).