The No. 2-ranked Angelo State softball team (22-2, 1-0 LSC South) jumped out to a big lead and then held on for the win as the Rambelles downed Tarleton State, 6-3, Friday in the Lone Star Conference South Division opener for both teams.

ASU plated three runs in the third and three more in the fourth to grab a 6-0 advantage. In the third, senior Nicole Smith opened the scoring with a one-out triple, plating senior Sarah DeMoss, to give ASU its first run of the game. Smith would find home one batter later on an infield single by freshman Kacie Easley. Senior April Haywood would give the Rambelles a 3-0 lead with a bases-loaded single to rightfield, scoring Easley. In the fourth, Easley would plate both junior Brittany Astle and Smith with a double down the leftfield line and would later score on a TexAnn error.

Tarleton State (9-9, 0-1 LSC South) would score all three of its runs in the top of the fifth, using six hits, but would leave the bases loaded.

Senior right-hander Chelsea Nelson (11-1) picked up the win as she gave up three earned runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts. Easley led the offense going 2-fof-4 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored while Smith went 1-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.

The two teams will complete the three-game weekend series Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at the ASU Softball Complex.