GRAND PRAIRIE - The Angelo State baseball team used a seventh inning rally to come back from a four-run deficit and take down Oklahoma Christian 11-8 Sunday in the Air Hogs D-II Classic.
The Rams (4-0) had four different players collect RBI in the game including Michael Urquidi who led the team with three and a pair of runs scored on the night.
"We did some tough things tonight to keep us in the game with guys like Novak and Boston making smart baseball plays and Michael Urquidi driving in several of our runs," Angelo State head baseball coach Kevin Brooks said. "Ultimately though, Oklahoma Christian gave us a lot of free bases, and I'm glad our guys took advantage of that."
ASU was down 8-4 at the start of the seventh inning when the leadoff batter, Parker Bramlett, was hit by a pitch. Nicholas Novak came up next and was hit as well, but called to continue the at-bat by the umpires for leaning into the pitch and made the first out of the inning.
After Novak's out, the next seven Ram batters reached base, scoring five straight runs and taking the lead before the Eagles even recorded the second out. Pitcher Cole Brandon shut the door, and the Rams walked off the field with their perfect record still intact.
Oklahoma Christian had taken an early lead in the game, scoring a pair of runs in the first two innings and then adding three more in the fifth.
Angelo State began the comeback by answering with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Jacob Boston started the rally with a one-out single up the middle and then got into scoring position on a wild pitch. Bramlett kept the rally alive by reaching base on an error that scored Boston.
Novak followed with a double to score Bramlett and Jonathan Soberanes reached base on a hit-by-pitch with Urquidi bringing the pair home for two more runs before the inning ended.
The Rams started another rally in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with no outs, but were unable to bring any runs home.
OCU widened the gap again in the top of the seventh as a pair of Ram pitchers gave up three runs to set up the Ram comeback in the bottom half of the inning. Kellen Rholl finally shut off the OCU offense with a strikeout to end the top half of the inning.
Rholl had a strong weekend in Grand Prairie, making appearances in all four games and earning a win and two saves while striking out a team-leading eight batters.
ASU completed the comeback in the bottom half of the seventh inning with five runs on five hits but were also helped by four Eagle errors.
Following the rally Angelo State pitcher Cole Brandon entered the game to close out the win, promptly striking out the first pair of batters he faced. Brandon did allow a bunt single to the third batter he faced, but Boston backed up an errant throw to first base and got the runner trying to take second base for a shutdown inning.
The Rams added in a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. Urquidi worked a one-out walk and stole second before Andrew Morales walked as well. Urquidi scored when the next batter, Alex Salcido, beat out an infield single, and Morales came home on a wild pitch as well.
Brandon finished strong, allowing a single to start the inning but clearing the bases with a double play before inducing a groundout to end the game. Brandon earned his first ASU save for the performance.
The Rams will return home for their next series, playing their home opener against Southwestern Oklahoma State at 4 p.m. on Friday at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium.
