SAN ANGELO – The No. 10-ranked Angelo State baseball team was held scoreless for the first time this season in a 5-0 non-conference loss to Lubbock Christian on Friday at Foster Field.

Quaid McKinnon and Brett David had two hits each to led the Rams (7-2) who finished the game with five total hits against the Chaps (8-1) on a day where the wind was blowing straight in from center field. Derek Loera (3-0) struck out seven ASU batters in 7.0 innings to earn the win, while Mike Weatherly (2-1) received the loss after giving up three runs in 6.0 innings.   

“Getting to first base was an accomplishment today with the wind,” ASU head coach Kevin Brooks said. “Even if you crushed a ball, you were probably only going to get a single. We needed to do a better job of getting on base any way we could. It just didn't seem like mentally we thought real well today at the plate.”

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Ryan Greer added the other Ram hit with a drag-bunt single, but he was stranded on base the same way five other ASU runners were in the game.

“I didn't think we were bad at the plate, but I thought some of the guys that have jobs to do in the lineup weren't able to do those jobs,” Brooks said. “They had a great pitcher throwing for them and we were swinging early in the count to help him out.”

Christian Vazquez and Wigberto Nevarez led Lubbock Christian with two hits and two runs each, while Brett Kauten and Joel Lutz added RBI for the Chaps who have now won four straight games. Kauten delivered the first RBI of the game with a double to left field and capped a two-run third inning by scoring on a wild pitch. LCU added two runs in the eighth inning off a Lutz double and a Smith sacrifice fly.

Reggie Rodriguez and Lee Neumann both went hitless in the game to snap eight-game hitting streaks to start the season. ASU was held scoreless twice last season and now trail the all-time series 3-2 against LCU.

Angelo State and Lubbock Christian resume their series at 1 p.m. on Saturday back at Foster Field. Michael Lange (2-0) will start for the Rams and comes into the game with a 3.60 ERA and off a complete-game win over Southern Arkansas last Saturday. LCU has not announced its probable starter for the second game of the series.

“It's going to be a drastically different day tomorrow (weather-wise),” Brooks said. “They are known for their pitchers and they'll have another good one tomorrow to throw against us. We need to find a way to get runs on the board early and then go from there.”