PUEBLO, Colo. – The No. 15th-ranked Angelo State baseball team split its doubleheader against Colorado State-Pueblo on Friday after earning a 7-5 win in the first game before dropping a 6-5 decision to finish off the day at Rawlings Field.

The Rams (9-4) and ThunderWolves (2-4) will resume the four-game series at noon (CST) at Rawlings Field for another doubleheader on Saturday. Both games on Saturday are scheduled for nine innings.

 
COLORADO STATE-PUEBLO 6, ANGELO STATE 5

Colorado State-Pueblo exploded for six runs on eight hits in the sixth inning and held off an Angelo State rally in the seventh to split the doubleheader. CSU-Pueblo had seven hits and a walk in the sixth inning before ASU was able to record an out and threw out the tying run trying to steal second to end the game.

“I thought we handled the elements well but we just didn't play the way we're capable of throughout the day,” ASU head coach Kevin Brooks said. “We didn't play with the composure we expect of ourselves in the sixth inning. We keep allowing these big innings that are costing us games and good teams don't let that happen. We are going to have to get that fixed right away.”

Mike Weatherly (2-2) receives the loss after being in complete control of the ThunderWolves throughout the game until the sixth inning. Weatherly finished the game by giving up eight hits and five earned runs and drops his second straight decision.

The loss drops ASU to 6-1 on the road this season going into Saturday's games and gives CSU-Pueblo its first win over the Rams. ASU now leads the all-time series 5-1.

Evan Kenebrew broke up Weatherly's scoreless game and tied the contest at 2-2 with a no-out double which scored Cameron Hart and Chase Lacomb who led off the inning with singles. Brett Montague followed with a single to score Kenebrew and gave the ThunderWolves a 3-2 lead.  

Angelo State, down 6-2 going into the seventh, scored three runs in the final frame before Ryan Greer was thrown out trying to steal second and get into scoring position. Tanner Kalina opened the inning with a walk and would score on a Christian Summers double, while Reggie Rodriguez scored on a Quaid McKinnon ground out following a single. Lee Neumann drove in the Rams' fifth and final run of the game on a sacrifice fly to center field.

Greer, who led off the sixth with a triple and scored the game's second run on an Andrew LaCombe sacrifice fly, finished the game with two hits along with Rodriguez, Summers and Neumann. The Rams held a 1-0 lead for the first five innings following a first-inning RBI single by Neumann which scored McKinnon.

“We are scoring early in these game but are then shutting down in the middle innings," Brooks said. "We had some good at-bats there in the last inning but it's not easy to come back from four runs in the final inning. We have to play with more urgency throughout the game." 

Jeremiah Struble (1-0) earned the win for the ThunderWolves after throwing a complete game against the Rams. Struble, who was last week's Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's Pitcher of the Week, struck out six and worked through 10 Ram hits to record the win. Kenebrew led CSU-Pueblo with two hits and two RBI.


ANGELO STATE 7, COLORADO STATE-PUEBLO 5

Christian Summers had three hits and three RBI to help lead Angelo State to a 7-5 non-conference win over Colorado State-Pueblo in the first game of Friday's doubleheader at Rawlings Field.

Jake Feckley (3-0) earned the win for the Rams after relieving starter Michael Lange in the third inning. Feckley struck out five in 4.2 innings of work, while Lange gets a no-decision for his second straight start after beginning the season with a 2-0 record.

Andrew LaCombe went 3 for 3 in the game, including a leadoff double in the fifth inning. He now has six doubles this season, while Ryan Greer, Quaid McKinnon, Lee Neumann, Reggie Rodriguez and David Goggin each had hits to account for ASU's 11 hits in the opener.

Summers established a new career high with his three RBI and matched his three-hit performance he had against McMurry last Tuesday. Summers, who scored the game's first run on a RBI single from McKinnon, now has 10 RBI through his first eight games played as a Ram.

Neumann picked up his team-leading 17th RBI of the season in the first inning with a single up the middle to score McKinnon and the Rams used a three-run fourth inning to regain a lead that had slipped by allowing the ThunderWolves to score two runs in the fourth.
ASU's fourth inning began with a Rodriguez double, a LaCombe single and Tyler Coughenour being hit by a pitch. Summers delivered the biggest hit of the game with a three-run double.