Final Box

DENTON, Texas – A 10 run third inning helped lift the Angelo State softball team to a 13-2 run-rule victory over Cameron during the Lone Star Conference Softball Championship at Pioneer Field on Friday.
 
The No. 10 Rambelles (43-8) were led by senior DeeshanaLynn Tafiti who had a pair of three-run home runs and finished the day 2-for-3 with six runs batted in. With the win, Angelo State improves to 26-8 in the LSC Softball Championship.  
 
Cameron's season came to a close, as the Aggies finished the 2012 season 17-32.

"It was great to come out swinging the way we did," Angelo State head coach Travis Scott said. "We started off a little shaky, but our bats came alive. It's all about playing the next day, and we were able to do that tonight."
 
Some first-inning jitters may have crept in for the Rambelles to start the game as a walk and an error put Aggies on first and second with no outs. The nerves were quickly calmed for ASU after Elsamartina Apo turned a double play to give Belles' starting pitcher Mary Kate McKay some breathing room. McKay then struck out the final batter to work around a first-inning jam.
 
The Rambelles would hang the first run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Morgan Spearman trotted to first to lead-off the first after being hit by the fourth pitch of her at bat. She then went first-to-third on a single from Lauren Smith. Standing 60 feet away with two outs, Apo stepped in the box. The reigning Lone Star Conference Player of the Year delivered an RBI single to left field and put ASU up 1-0.  
 
Both teams scored two runs on two hits in the second inning, but the Rambelles broke the game open in the third inning. Kacie Easley and Apo had back-to-back singles to set the table for Tafiti. The senior then blasted her 15th home run of the season to straight away center. The three-run bomb put Angelo State up 6-2.
 
That was just the beginning.
 
In the same inning, Tafiti hit her second three-run bomb to put Angelo State up 13-2.  The Rambelles scored 10 runs on eight hits in the inning. Spearman and Brittney Davis also had multiple RBIs in the inning.  

"It's great to have Shana back in our lineup," Scott said. "She certainly made an imprint in today's game. She hit the ball great, and had some bombs."

McKay got the win and improved to 20-4 on the season. The Madill, Okla., native threw 3.1 innings before handing the ball over to Claire Molina. Cheyenne Brown (8-16) takes the loss for Cameron.
 
The Rambelles second-round game against West Texas A&M will begin at 2:30 p.m. at Pioneer Field in Denton on Friday. Live audio will be available on AngeloSports.com and 1260 KKSA or follow live Twitter updates @AngeloSports.