ASU Season Stats

SAN ANGELO, Texas – The Angelo State softball team's number one ranking will be tested early, as the Rambelles travel to Canyon for a three-game series against No. 23 West Texas A&M. The Lone Star Conference bout between the two nationally ranked teams will begin with a doubleheader at 5 p.m. on Friday at Lady Buff Yard.
 
“We know West Texas has a great team and it's tough to play at their place, but we look forward to the challenge,” Angelo State head coach Travis Scott said. “Previous number one teams haven't fared well, but we're hoping to go up there and take care of business to maintain that number one spot.”
 
The Rambelles are 25-3 on the season and sit atop the LSC standings with a 9-0 mark. After dropping their first two games of the season, the Belles have won 25 of the last 26 games thanks to their high-powered offense. ASU is currently hitting .361 as a team and has outscored its opponents 245-99 on the year. Elsamartina Apo is hitting .500 with nine doubles and a .626 on-base percentage, while DeeshanaLynn Tafiti has blasted 12 home runs and has 45 RBIs on the season.
 
“Our offense has been consistant all year, but what's really starting to come around is our starting pitching,” Scott said. “Claire Molina has continued to get better as we get deeper into the season, and Mary Kate McKay keeps doing her thing."
 
ASU rolls out a pair of lefties in the circle that have combined for 25 wins and 13 complete-game performances. Molina leads the conference in wins at 14, as the senior is 14-2 this season with a 2.61 earned run average. Meanwhile, McKay is 11-1 with a 2.27 ERA, and is holding opponents to a .230 batting average.
 
The 23rd-ranked Lady Buffs are 20-9 on the season and 5-4 in the LSC under seventh-year head coach Kevin Blaskowski. Offensively, West Texas A&M is led by Kim LeComte who's hitting .404 on the season with 25 RBIs and six home runs. Marci Womack (9-5) and Amber Spencer (8-3) are the Lady Buffs top pitchers. Womack owns a 3.29 ERA and is holding opponents to a .254 batting average, while Spencer has a 4.54 earned run average. 
 
“They're a solid team,” Scott said. “Their offense hits for power and Marci Womack has given us trouble over the last few years, so it should make for an exciting weekend, and hopefully we can do enough to find some ways to win some games.”
 
Angelo State leads the all-time series 28-16, but the Lady Buffs went 3-1 against ASU a season ago. The last meeting came in the Lone Star Conference Championship. Although Apo hit a grand slam and Morgan Spearman hit a solo-blast, the Belles fell 7-5.
 
Be sure to listen to the action live on AngeloSports.com or 1260AM-KKSA as Ben Ely is on the call.