LAREDO, Texas – The Angelo State baseball team downed Texas A&M International, 9-2 in game one and 6-2 in the night cap for its first doubleheader sweep of the year on Saturday in Laredo, Texas.
The Rams improve to 2-0 on the year and 7-5 in season openers. The offense was clicking in its first two outings as it drove in a total of 16 hits in the first two games. On the bump Bryce Zak and Graylon Brown both produced solid outings for Angelo State and were both awarded their first wins of the season. The ASU defense closed out the day committing no errors. Texas A&M International fell to 1-4 on the year.
"I thought our starting pitching did well, and we played solid defense," commented ASU head coach Kevin Brooks. "We were able to scratch across a few runs and competed real well. It was good to get the first day out of the way. The table setters did a good job and made things happen. Nathan Ruan and Sam Kohler had a good day getting on base so the big boys could drive them in. [Bryce]Zak and Graylon [Brown] did great. Zak was in control from the start and set a really good tone for the day."
TAMIU got things started in the first game with one run coming in on a double stroked to left field. It wasn't until the fifth that the Rams answered. Left fielder Steven Pinales blasted a solo shot out of the ball park to tie the game at 1-1.
Then the flood gates would open in the top of the sixth when with Paxton DeLaGarza at the plate and the bases loaded. A wild pitch to DeLaGarza followed by a catcher error would allow Elias Aguirre and Nathan Ruan to score making it 3-1. On the next pitch DeLaGarza stroked a single to send Sam Kohler home. With the score now sitting at 4-1 and DeLaGarza on second after a steal, Pinales added a single to his hits for the day which would hold the runners at first and third. The ensuing three walks and a hit by a pitch pushed three more across the plate closing out the six run inning with the Rams on top 7-1. The Dustdevils attempted to get a rally going in the bottom half of the sixth, but could only manage a single run. ASU added two more off a Pinales triple and a Matt Waller sacrifice fly to close the game out with a final score of 9-2.
Zak threw six innings striking out eight, walking two and only giving up three runs. He was relieved by Joe Hauser who closed out the game after the sixth and pitched the final inning. Pinales was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and only missed a double to complete the cycle. He also scored a team leading three runs for the game.
"He went off," commented Brooks on Pinales' performance. "He carried us offensively which is what we need right now as we are missing a couple of guys."
The final game of the day was kicked off with Pinales once again producing a big hit with a deep single that scored two early in the first inning. Tthe bases were loaded in the second with ASU up 2-0. TAMIU's pitcher was called for a balk that brought in Michael Urquidi for the Rams making it 3-0. Then with runnners on first and second in the fourth, DeLaGarza cranked a double that moved the score to 5-0. TAMU International would finally try to get the ball rolling in seventh driving in a pair of runs; however, the rally would be short lived as an error in the following inning would give ASU an insurance run. The Rams would close this game out with a final score of 6-2.
From the hill, Brown tossed six scoreless innings and striking out six. The senior only gave up four hits and walked two. He was followed by Hauser, DeLaGarza, Dustin Angiel and Kenton Schroter. Kohler was a perfect 3-for 3 from the plate with three singles that lead the team in the hits category. Pinales and DeLaGarza each added another two RBI's to their final stats for the day.
The Rams return to the field at Uni-Trade Stadium for the final game of the three game series tomorrow at 1 p.m., where pitcher Joey Wise will make his first start of the 2016 season.
