Texas State Defeats SFA 9-0 for Fourth Southland Tournament Title
SAN MARCOS, Texas - No. 1 seed Texas State used its home-field advantage to cruise to a 9-0 victory over No. 2 seed Stephen F. Austin to win its fourth Southland Conference tournament championship Saturday at Bobcat Ballpark.
The Bobcats, who have claimed the last three regular-season conference championships, but this is the first tournament championship for Texas State since it won back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000. Texas State also won the tournament in 1997. The title is the second for Ty Harrington, who was the Bobcats first-year skipper in 2000. Texas State's four titles tie Sam Houston State for the most champions in the history of the event.
Texas State wasted little time against Stephen F. Austin, jumping out to a 7-0 lead after the first two innings, getting six of its 10 hits in those two frames.
Designated hitter Jeff McVaney, who got the save in the Bobcats' win earlier in the day over Nicholls that sent them to the title game for the fourth time in the last five years, drove in the first run of the game with a two-out single to center field that scored Bret Atwood. Andrew Stumph followed with a three-run home run and just that quickly the Lumberjacks were in a hole.
Stephen F. Austin starting pitcher Justin Braddock got the lead-off man out to start the second, but that would be his final out of the game. He gave up three consecutive singles, the last of which, a shot through the left side, scored Christian Gallegos to make it a four-run lead for the Bobcats. That was it for Braddock, who took the loss to see his record slide to an even 3-3 for the year.
Landon Kozeny came in for Braddock and walked Casey Kalenkosky to load the bases and then walked Kyle Kubitza before a balk to yield two more runs and ended his day before he could get an out. Colton Eubanks was the most effective of the three other Lumberjack pitchers used in the game. He tossed 5.1 innings and allowed only two runs on four hits and struck out five. At one point he retired 13 batters in a row.
That ended when Kubitza launched a solo home run with one out in the seventh inning. Stumph followed with a double down the left-field line and then scored the Bobcats final run on a single into right-center field by Cory Falvey.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the win was the pitching of Joseph Dvorsky, who, made his first career start and allowed only four hits in getting the complete-game shutout. After only two appearances all of last season, the senior made 22 relief appearances out of the bullpen in 2011 and recorded six saves.
Texas State became the fourth team to win the tournament after an opening-round loss, something it also did in 1997. McNeese State (2003) and UT Arlington (2006) also won the event after dropping their first game. This year's Texas State team is the first to accomplish this in an eight-team format. The three teams to do so previously did so in a six-team event.
The Bobcats opened the tournament with a loss to No. 8 seed Nicholls on Wednesday and then won five games, including one each against No. 4 seed Southeastern Louisiana and No. 5 seed Sam Houston State before beating the Colonels twice to get to the championship game.
With the win, Texas State earned the Southland's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament and will be making its fifth appearance all time. It went to a regional after winning the league tournament in 1997, 1999 and 2000 and was an at-large selection in 2009.
Stephen F. Austin was making its first title game appearance after entering this year's tournament with just one win in three previous trips. The Lumberjacks head into Selection Monday with a school record 37 wins against 23 losses. ESPN will announce the 64-team regional field Monday at 11:30 a.m., CDT.
Championship Game Quotes
Texas State head coach Ty Harrington
"You couldn't draw up a better scenario for us, to be at home, to have lost the first game of a tournament, battle all the way back and watch the courageous efforts everyone put forth on our team."
On the key to winning the game
"I thought our pitching and our ability to score early was important for us. I thought our defense again was really good tonight. The past four games our defensive play, particularly in the infield, was really good.
Texas State second baseman Tyler Sibley
On losing the first tournament game: "There was no panic on our hitters. We pride ourselves in being a veteran lineup. Coach Fikac encouraged us to stick to our plan and that things were going to work out."
Texas State First Baseman Casey Kalenkosky
On coming back to win the tournament after losing the first game
"It was a tough loss. We knew we just had to stay up at the plate and stay on our approaches and that our pitcher was going to get us through it. Our lineup top to bottom is a very scary lineup. We've had a couple seniors step up with big hits. Corey Falvey came in a sophomore and had an unbelievable tournament."
Texas State pitcher Joseph Dvorsky
On his first start of the season
"Once you find out you're going to start, you get that mindset. You can just prepare for it. They told me today I was going to start so I got to prepare myself the whole day. I told myself I was going to go out there and hit my spots and just compete. I didn't want to walk anyone. I wanted them to put the ball in play. I knew my infielders and outfielders were going to make plays behind me."
Stephen F. Austin Coach Johnny Cardenas
On Joseph Dvorsky
"I think he commanded both sides of the plate. He was able to get the breaking ball over for a strike and that was key.
On hitting
"They way we hit in conference during the course of the year I thought we had a good chance of doing some damage, but when a guy goes out and pitches like he does, he kept us from going."
SFA left fielder Bryson Miles
On Joseph Dvorsky
"He was throwing all his pitches for strikes, putting them wherever he wanted to in each count which makes it tough as a hitter. You got to give credit to him; he did his job up there."
Southland Conference All-Tournament Team
Most Valuable Player: Casey Kalenkosky, First Baseman, Texas State
Catcher: Jarid Scarafiotti, Stephen F. Austin
Second Baseman: Tyler Sibley, Texas State
Third Baseman: Bobby Buckner, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Shortstop: Christian Gallegos, Texas State
Outfield: Bryson Myles, Stephen F. Austin
Outfield: Luke Plucheck, Sam Houston State
Outfield: Bret Atwood, Texas State
Designated Hitter: Chris Andreas, Sam Houston State
Pitcher: Todd Simko, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Pitcher: Joseph Dvorsky, Texas State