Game 1  ::  Game 2

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – The Angelo State softball team swung its way to a 10-4 victory against Tarleton State in Game 1 followed by a 10-8 extra-inning victory in Game 2 on Friday in Stephenville. The two Lone Star Conference wins give the No. 12 Rambelles a three game lead in the conference standings with five games remaining.
 
“These were two big wins for us,” Angelo State head coach Travis Scott said. “We knew it was going to be a battle, and our girls never quit. We were down early, but we kept fighting.”
 
Angelo State (37-8, 16-4 LSC) spotted Tarleton four early runs in Game 1, but the Rambelles rattled off 10 unanswered to secure a 10-4 victory. The TexAnns (29-16, 14-8 LSC) manufactured a run in the first before hitting a pair of home runs in the second which stretched their lead to 4-0.
 
The Belles began their offensive production in the third inning. TSU had a chance to escape the frame unharmed, but a costly error resulted in three unearned runs. Morgan Spearman scored the first run on the fielding error, and a batter later Elsamartina Apo hit a two-run homer to make it just a one-run game (4-3).
 
In the fourth inning the Belles scored three runs on three hits to take a 6-4 lead. After back-to-back singles by April Breshears and Amanda Wilhelm, Spearman highlighted the top half with a two-run double to the right center alley way.
 
If some is good more is better.
 
ASU plated three more on a single swing by Carly Peters in the next inning. A pair of walks set the table for the sophomore who hit her eighth homer of the season. The Rambelles went on to secure a 10-4 victory.
 
“We had some clutch hitting tonight,” Scott said. “Morgan had a big hit to give us the lead, and then Carly came up huge for us all day. She hit the three-run shot in Game 1, then hit a game-tying, two-run blast in Game 2, which sent it to extras.”
 
Belles' starting pitcher Mary Kate McKay picked up the win and improved to 18-4 on the year.  The sophomore worked around six hits and allowed four runs in 6.0 innings of work. McKay handed the ball to freshman Kat Massey for the final three outs.
 
Angelo State took an early 1-0 lead in Game 2 after a solo homer by Chelsey Walters in the third inning. The lead was short lived, as the TexAnns' Samantha Swanda hit a three-run shot to take a 3-1 lead.
 
The tug-of-war game was pulled back in ASU's favor in the sixth inning thanks to another Peters' long ball. Trailing 3-1, the San Antonio native hit a two-run bomb to tie the game at 3-3.  The momentum would stay in the Belles' dugout for the remainder of the game.
 
Angelo State took control in the eighth, scoring seven runs on just four hits to take a 10-3 edge. April Breshears, Wilhelm, Spearman and Kacie Easley all recorded RBIs in the inning. The TexAnns would plate five of their own runs in the bottom half, but could not match ASU's seven spot falling 10-8.
 
Claire Molina worked 7.2 innings and allowed seven hits and four runs (one earned) in the outing. The senior struck out four as she moved to 19-4 on the year.  
 
The two teams will return to the diamond for a single game on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled at 1 p.m. Be sure to follow live updates throughout the game on Twitter updates @AngeloSports.