Texas State beat Princeton 3-1 on Saturday in an elimination game at the Austin Regional behind a stellar pitching performance from Michael Pitts. The Bobcats went on to lose to the host Longhorns on Sunday to wrap up their impressive season with a 41-24 record. (Photo by Ashley Landis, Texas State Athletics)
STAFF REPORT
After coming back to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning, the Bobcats had their regional championship aspirations dashed Sunday afternoon when No. 5 Texas answered with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to eliminate Texas State from the Austin Regional 4-3.
The loss ended the Bobcats’ 2011 season as the team posted a 41-23 record and won both the Southland Conference regular season and tournament championships. Texas State made its fifth NCAA Regional appearance in the program’s history this season and won its first regional game since 2000. The Bobcats’ 41 wins this season ties a program record set in 2009.
Texas (45-16) went on to win the regional and advance to a super regional where the Longhorns will take on Arizona State.
“I thought it was a great college baseball game,” Texas State head coach Ty Harrington said. “I thought we had a good enough performance from Colton Turner pitching wise. I thought we played good enough defense to put ourselves in position to try to win a game. I thought both teams were playing at a very high level in a demanding game. I was very pleased with our effort.”
A home run from junior Kyle Kubitza put the Bobcats in the lead early, but the Longhorns came back to score three runs over a two-inning span to take the lead. Texas State then tied the game in the top of the ninth after Bret Atwood led off the frame with a single and moved all the way to third base after a throwing error by the Texas catcher on Atwood’s stolen base attempt. The stolen base was Atwood’s team-leading 21st of the season and also gave him 49 for his career, a new Texas State record.
Two batters later, Kubitza lined a shot to right field that was deep enough to allow Atwood to score the tying run and make it 3-3.
In the bottom of the ninth, Texas led off the inning with a bunt single before a sacrifice bunt moved the runner into scoring position. An intentional walk put runners on first and second, and then, head coach Ty Harrington went to the bullpen and brought in junior all-American Carson Smith for just his second appearance out of the bullpen this season to try and get out of the one-out jam. But a walk loaded the bases and set the stage for Kevin Lusson to hit a walk-off single over the head of Jeff McVaney in right field for the game winner.
Earlier in the double-elimination regional, Texas State lost to Kent State 4-2 in 11 innings on Friday before rebounding to beat Princeton 3-1 behind Mitchell Pitts’ stellar pitching performance in an elimination game on Saturday.
Atwood and Kubitza were both selected to the 11-man Austin Regional All-Tournament Team.
