SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State baseball team split a doubleheader with Tarleton State Saturday at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium, dropping the first game 4-2 before winning the second 6-4.
The Rams (24-9, 5-2 LSC) racked up 18 hits on the day to just 15 for the Texans (19-12, 4-3 LSC) and now have a chance to win the series on Saturday.
Trent Baker started game one of the day, looking to improve on his perfect 4-0 record. The freshman started the day well, striking out a pair of batters in the first inning.
In the second inning, however, the Texans took their first lead of the series after a leadoff walk and a double. Both runners eventually scored, as TSU went up 2-0.
The Rams were kept off the scoreboard by Texan starter Nathan Hickey, who pitched the first six innings of the game and earned the win. The Tarleton State offense gave him another two runs in the top of the fifth inning before Jared Velasco relieved Baker and ended the inning with a strikeout.
Angelo State was still scoreless all the way up until the seventh and final inning of the game. Parker Bramlett led off the inning with a single up the middle and one batter later Jacob Boston worked a walk. Both runners came around to score on a single from a pinch-hitting Jonathan Soberanes.
ASU continued to battle, loading the bases with two outs and bringing Andrew Morales up to the plate. The Texans finally closed out the win by inducing a groundout from Morales.
Looking to bounce back from the loss, the Angelo State offense jumped out to a lead quickly in the second game of the doubleheader. Michael Urquidi led things off with a single through the right side, advancing into scoring position with his 21st steal of the season.
Nicholas Novak followed with a walk and the Urquid scored as Morales singled. Novak then scored as well on a single from Bradley Mathiowetz. Mathiowetz and Morales then worked a double steal to bring Morales home and give the Rams a 3-0 win.
The Texans tied the game up in the third inning with a three-run home run from Blake Adams.
ASU retook the lead the next inning in the bottom of the fourth. Boston reached base via a hit-by-pitch and advanced to second on a single from catcher Alex Salcido. The two both moved up a base on an errant pickoff throw. Boston then came in to score on a sacrifice fly from Urquidi.
Tarleton State tied up the game one more time in the fifth with of the run of their own, but were shut down when reliever Kellen Rholl came into the game.
The Rams got the lead back in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run double from Mathiowetz that scored Morales and Novak and put ASU up 6-4.
Rholl continued to dominate in the sixth and seventh, striking out the final two batters in the seventh to secure his third win of the year.
Angelo State will go for the series win at 1 p.m. Saturday at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium.
