April 26, 2008

Final Stats

SAN MARCOS - Ragan Blake threw a pair of complete games, allowing only one run on six hits in 14 innings as Texas State (32-16, 22-4 SLC) opened its final regular season home series with a two-game sweep over Sam Houston State (29-27, 14-12 SLC) by scores of 1-0 and 2-1.

The wins also helped the Bobcats clinch the Southland Conference regular season title after Stephen F. Austin (32-19, 17-8 SLC) split a doubleheader with UTSA. Texas State now holds a 4.5 game lead in the standings over the Ladyjacks, but with only four games to play in the regular season the Bobcats locked up the regular season championship and the No. 1 seed in the SLC Tournament that Texas State will host May 8-10.

The Bobcats opened game one with a bang when Kristina Tello opened with a single to left. After a sacrifice and a groundout moved Tello to third, McKenzie Baack drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Leah Boatright. Boatright lined a Brandi Crnkovic pitch back into centerfield to score Tello, but the sophomore first baseman was thrown out trying to advance to second on the play for the third out of the inning.

Texas State's run proved enough for Blake, who scattered three singles through the first six innings and did not allow a runner past first base. She also struck out the side in the second for three of her eight strikeouts in the game.

Alex Newton started a fourth inning rally in an attempt to put an insurance run on the board with a leadoff single. Boatright drew a one out walk, and a successful double steal gave the `Cats two runners in scoring position with one out. Crnkovic did not let them advance further, striking out one before a foul out ended the threat.

Neither team could get any offense going until the top of the seventh when Morgan Mikulin led off the inning with a double to the gap in right center. Blake rebounded nicely, getting a pair of shallow fly outs to left before Alex Survant popped out to Newton for the final out of the game.

Game two started in similar fashion to game one, only both teams put a run up in the first inning. The Bearkats' Tanya Hooser homered to left field with one out in the top of the first to give Sam Houston Statea 1-0 lead, but Newton tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a double to the center field wall to score Tello, who had walked.

After the first inning fireworks, Blake settled down into a pitchers duel as each team managed only three total baserunners apiece, keeping the score knotted at 1-1 until the sixth inning.

On a 1-1 pitch, Baack sent a Morgan Mikulin pitch out of the park for a solo blast that gave Texas State a 2-1 lead.

Sam Houston State had one last chance to tie in the seventh as a two-out walk and single advanced a runner to second, but the Bearkats could not push across the tying run across as Texas State held on for the win.

Blake (17-10) allowed just two hits, walking four and striking out four. Mikulin (14-12) took the loss after allowing the Baack homer.

The series will conclude on Sunday at noon with a tribute to the 2008 senior class after the conclusion of the game.