Junior Ryan Hutson reached base in all five of his plate appearances on Sunday.
SAN ANTONIO — No. 30 Texas State scored runs in six of the first seven innings, held off a rally by UTSA in the final two frames and finished off a three-game sweep of the Roadrunners by a score of 11-10 on Sunday afternoon at the Bird Bath.
The Bobcats (28-14, 18-6 SLC) not only won for the seventh time in their last eight contests, but they also recorded their first sweep in the I-35 rivalry since 1997. Meanwhile, UTSA saw its season record drop to 14-27 overall (5-19 SLC) in losing its 10th game in the past 11 outings.
With the game tied at eight entering the seventh, Texas State took its first lead since the opening inning with a three-run stanza off UTSA left-handed reliever D.D. Towler (1-7).
Kyle Kubitza led off the frame with a single to right center. Towler then had Kubitza picked off first, but his throw to sophomore Casey Selsor was low and it got past the Roadrunners' first baseman. Andrew Stumph followed with a towering shot over left center field wall to put the Bobcats up 10-8. Laurn Randell then lined a double to right center, moved to third on a fly ball to right and came home on Clint Vest's run-scoring single down the right-field line.
However, UTSA didn't go down without a fight, scoring a pair of runs with two down in the eighth to pull within one and it had the tying run in scoring position in each of the final two innings.
Freshman Ryan Dalton drew a two-out walk from Garret Carruth and junior Ryan Hutson reached on an infield single to short. Another free pass, this time to junior Brett Aguilar, loaded the bases, but Vest lost freshman Daniel Rockett's pop up behind the infield dirt in the sun and the UTSA center fielder was credited with a two-run double that pulled the Birds within one at 11-10. Carruth, though, got out of the jam by getting senior Jeff Taliaferro to fly out to center to end the inning.
Texas State head coach Ty Harrington called on Friday night's winning pitcher, Carson Smith, to finish off the game in the ninth and the right-hander was able to work around a lead-off single off the bat of junior Tyler Carpenter for his third save of the season. Smith shut out the Roadrunners on just two singles and a walk in the series-opening 10-0 victory (7 innings) in San Marcos.
Jeff McVaney (1-0), who allowed a pair of hits and a walk in a scoreless sixth, was the winning pitcher for the Bobcats.
Towler, meanwhile, gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits in his one-plus inning in relief of junior starter Ryan Proudfoot and dropped his fifth consecutive decision.
Kyle Livingstone gave Texas State an early 1-0 lead when he led off the contest with his seventh home run of the season.
The Roadrunners then scored five runs, all with two out, on six hits in the second.
Dalton began the inning with a double to right center and Hutson followed with a walk. After Aguilar lined into a double play, Rockett stroked a single to left to bring home Dalton with UTSA's first run. Taliaferro then hit the first of three consecutive run-scoring doubles and senior Lance Brown's RBI single through the right side of the infield concluded the scoring and chased Texas State starter Mitchell Pitts from game.
The Bobcats pulled within three in the third when Vest drew a lead-off walk and, after Livingstone doubled the left-field line, Bret Atwood brought him home with a ground out to second base. They went on to add two unearned runs in the next frame to draw within one.
UTSA pushed the advantage to four with a three-run fourth.
Brown's third hit of the day, a single to right center, plated Carpenter, who led off the frame with his second double of the contest. Three consecutive base hits with two down by Dalton, Hutson and Aguilar added two more marks to the scoreboard and put the Birds in front, 8-4.
The back-and-forth affair continued one panel later when Kubitza launched a three-run home run to left center with one down and Texas State was back within one.
The Bobcats then tied it up in the sixth on Jason Martinson's sacrifice liner to center.
Carpenter and Hutson paced UTSA's 19-hit attack, as both tied their career high with four safeties apiece. Meanwhile, Brown and Dalton both added three hits.
Livingstone finished the afternoon 4-for-5 to lead Texas State.
UTSA continues its eight-game home stand when it welcomes Nicholls (22-21, 11-13 SLC) to Roadrunner Field next weekend. First pitch in Friday's opener is scheduled for 6 p.m.