LUBBOCK, Texas - No. 3/3 Angelo State outscored Lubbock Christian 25-6 across 14 innings, picking up a pair of wins and clinching the series for the Rams on Saturday, Mar. 25.
GAME 1 - No. 3 Angelo State 5, Lubbock Christian 0
Kade Bragg allowed one hit and faced one batter over the minimum, as no. 3/3 Angelo State shut out Lubbock Christian 5-0 at Hays Field.
In the bottom of the first inning,
Eduardo Acosta recorded a two-out single. It would be the only hit of the day for the Chaps (16-11, 15-11 LSC).
Both teams were quiet on offense for the most part, until the top of the fourth inning, when the Rams (28-4, 26-4 LSC) drew first blood, after an error on a pickoff attempt allowed Thomas Cain to score the first run of the game. An RBI single from Tyler Boggs followed by an RBI double from Reese Johnson later in the frame pushed Angelo State ahead 3-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, Acosta reached on a walk, but a double play ended the inning to keep LCU off the board. An RBI-single by Kamden Kelton in the top of the fifth put the Rams up 4-0. An infield single from Jacob Guerrero in the top of the sixth added another, and Angelo State took the 5-0 victory.
Johnson led the Rams on offense, batting 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI.
Bragg (8-0) was phenomenal for ASU, going all seven innings, striking out eight batters, allowing one hit and walking one. He lowered his conference leading ERA to an astounding 0.32.
Ryan Markwardt (3-3) was handed the loss, going six innings, allowing five runs off eight hits, walking six batters and striking out one.
Stoney Rhodes closed out the game, striking out one batter in an inning of work.
GAME 2 - No. 3 Angelo State 20, Lubbock Christian 6
After cutting the Ram lead down to 7-6 after four innings, no. 3/3 Angelo State scored 13 unanswered runs and took advantage of five Chaparral errors to pull away and roll over Lubbock Christian 20-6 to sweep the doubleheader.
Angelo State (29-4, 27-4 LSC) started strong, as a bases loaded walk scored the first run for the Rams in the top of the first inning, before a two-RBI single from Jordan Williams scored two more runs, pushing their early lead up to 3-0. A sac fly from Kamden Kelton brought in another run, and ASU went ahead 4-0.
Brevin McCool answered with authority for the Chaps (16-12, 15-12 LSC) in the bottom of the first with a home run to right field, his third home run of the week. An RBI triple by
Carson Ogilvie in the bottom of the second scored
Hayden Blair, cutting the Chaparral deficit down to 4-2.
An RBI triple from
Nate Van Maanen in the bottom of the third inning scored
Eduardo Acosta, and a ground ball from
Chris Shull brought him home to tie the game at four runs apiece. The Rams retook the lead in the top of the fourth, as a Jacob Guerrero two-RBI single gave ASU a 6-4 advantage. A pair of errors by the Chaparrals allowed another run to score, and Angelo State went ahead 7-4.
In the bottom of the fourth, an Ogilvie RBI double scored Hensley, lowering the ASU lead to 7-5. Ogilvie came home later in the inning, thanks to an Acosta RBI single, to make it a 7-6 ballgame.
Angelo State began to pull away in the top of the fifth, beginning with a two-RBI double down the right field line from Reese Johnson, before another Chap error put the Rams on top 11-6. A Tripp Clark RBI-triple scored another, and a Cain double swelled the ASU lead to 13-6.
An RBI-single from Tyler Boggs in the top of the sixth increased the advantage to 14-6. In the top of the seventh, the Rams continued to pour it on, as a Trenton Tredaway RBI single and another RBI from Kelton on a grounder made it a 16-6 lead for ASU. Justin Harris was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring another run, before a three-RBI double by Conagher Sands finished off the Chaps, giving the Rams a 20-6 victory.
It is the first time the Chaps have allowed 20 runs in a game, since falling to St. Edward's in the first round of the 2022 Lone Star Conference Championship 20-17. The Chaparral pitching staff also plunked nine batters, the most this season. LCU has hit 18 total batters so far in the series against Angelo State.
Jackson Haga (1-0) earned the win, going 3.2 innings, allowing four hits, zero runs, and recording five strikeouts.
Andrew Duran (4-2) was handed the loss, going four innings, giving up eight runs, six of those being earned, walking two and striking out four. Duran also hit five batters, tying the program record for most hit batters in a single game.
LCU looks to avoid a sweep, facing Angelo State in the series finale at Hays Field on Sunday, Mar. 26. First pitch is set for 1:00 PM.
