By Tyler Mayforth
Daily Record Sports
San Marcos — Texas State needed 11 games to break out of its early-season slump, but the Bobcats are making a statement against Penn State.
After Texas State’s second consecutive win by nine or more runs (15-6 victory Saturday afternoon), it seems as if the Bobcats are saying, “We’re back.”
“It seems like one through nine is starting to see the ball,” Texas State shortstop Jason Martinson said. “Everybody is understanding their roles at the plate and not trying to do everything themselves at once with one swing of the bat.”
The Bobcats tattooed the Nittany Lions Friday night, 20-6, and continued the onslaught the next day.
Texas State (7-6) pounded out 16 hits Saturday afternoon and forced Penn State (4-7) to reach deep into its bullpen. After the Bobcats put up seven runs in the fifth inning, the Nittany Lions threw a freshman and two position players in the final three innings.
“We’ve seen a lot of arms, there’s no question about it,” Texas State head coach Ty Harrington said. “We’ve done a really good job of adjusting to what they may be doing and when we had pitches to hit, we did a good job of recognizing them.”
The Bobcats took advantage of two meatballs by Penn State pitchers Neal Herring and David Lutz and turned the fastballs into home runs.
Martinson crushed his second home run of the season, a three-run shot, in the first inning and Shaun Garcia knocked his first-career long ball in the fifth.
After Martinson struggled to begin the season (a .209 average), Harrington chose to move the junior down in the lineup. Martinson batted fifth against the Nittany Lions and increased his average to .240.
“I’m starting to get back into the feel of live pitching,” Martinson said. “I was trying to do a litte too much at the start. Now, I’m just relaxing since he moved me down in the lineup.”
While Texas State is picking up the pace at the plate, the Bobcats still need to work on their fielding. Texas State committed three errors in the first four innings Saturday afternoon to push its season total to 14.
The Bobcats got it together in the fifth though, as a quick relay from center fielder Bret Atwood to first baseman Kyle Livingstone to catcher Jordan Kopycinski nailed a Penn State runner at home. It turned out to be the play Texas State needed to get its head in the game as the Bobcats scored seven runs in bottom of the fifth and cruised the rest of the way.
“We didn’t do a good job early, but as the game progressed, we played better defense and turned the game around,” Harrington said. “At this point of the season, it’s more about what we do than what (an opponent) is doing and I think we’re showing some great signs right now of heading in the right direction.”
Game 1: Bobcats 20, Penn St. 6
By RANDY STEVENS
Sports Editor
Perhaps all the Texas State bats needed was a little home cooking.
Playing their fifth game at home in Friday night’s series opener against Penn State, the Bobcat offense unleashed on the Nittany Lions for a 20-6 win in the friendly confines of Bobcat Stadium.
Texas State scored runs in five of the first six innings, including six runs in the bottom of the fourth that gave the Bobcats a commanding lead early while allowing the Texas State to grab it third home win this season.
The Bobcats struggled at the plate in their first two home games, suffering a 5-0 shutout to No. 9 Rice, then managed only five runs in a 5-3 win over A&M-Corpus Christi. Since, Texas State has won its last three home games, combining for 43 runs.
“I think we like hitting at this park,” Texas State head coach Ty Harrington said. “I thought we really battled well at the plate tonight and that was refreshing.”
Texas State also got another solid performance from Friday-night starter Michael Russo. Although the right-hander gave up nine hits and four runs, he held the Nittany Lions scoreless for three innings and limited Penn State (4-6) to only four runs in five innings of work.
“I thought Russo was okay because he didn’t show the command he normally has,“ Harrington said. “But he battled through it because he is so tough.”
Texas State jumped out to a quick lead with three runs in the bottom of the third, thanks in part to a two-run homer over the right-field fence from Kyle Livingstone. Shaun Garcia drove in the third run with a single to right field.
Russo (2-0) started to struggle a bit in the top of the fourth by giving up a three-run homer to Joey DeBernardis, then found himself in a bit of jam with the bases loaded and two outs. But the senior stopped the bleeding by getting Jordan Steranka to fly out to left field, allowing the Bobcats to hold a 4-3 lead.
The Nittany Lions’ pitching began to suffer in the bottom of the fourth, and the Bobcats made them pay with six runs.
Laurn Randell and Sibley were both hit by pitches to lead off the inning, as Atwood came to the plate and laid down a nice bunt down the third-base line, and after a bad throw to first from Steranka, Randell and Sibley were able to score, while Atwood wound up on third base.
Livingstone’s single to right field drove in Atwood for a 7-3 lead, as Penn State reliever Calvin Grumley came in an issued three consecutive walks to push another runner across. Daniel Neumann delivered a RBI sacrifice fly to left field, as Randell came back to the plate and gave the Bobcats a 10-3 lead by driving in another run with a single to right field.
Penn State added a run in the fifth thanks to a RBI single from Mario Eramo, but the Bobcats countered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Andrew Stumph put the Bobcats up 11-4 with a RBI on a fielder’s choice, as Daniel Neumann put his name in the scorebook with a RBI double into the left-field corner to increase the lead to 12-4.
The Bobcats posted another pair of runs in the sixth, as Penn State continued to struggle with consistency on the mound. Two walks, a wild pitch and a double from Sibley allowed State to increase its lead to 14-4.
Another bases-loaded walk gave the Bobcats a 15-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh, as Jason Martinson drove in another run with a sacrifice grounder to third. Stumph then came through with his first collegiate grand slam, belting a towering shot over the left-field fence to give Texas State a 20-6 lead.
“It was good to see Andrew catch hold of a shot like that,” Harrington said. “Being a freshman, he was pretty excited.”
Penn State used eight different pitchers in the game, with the loss going to starter Ryan Ingas (1-1).
The Bobcats got two innings of work from reliever Travis Ballew (two runs on five hits), as freshman Matt Steiner closed out the game by retiring the side in the top of the ninth.
