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SAN ANGELO – Hunter Choate had three hits and drove in three runs to help lead the Angelo State baseball team to a 9-6 Lone Star Conference win on Thursday in the first game of its series against West Texas A&M at Foster Field.

The Rams (19-10, 5-4 LSC), who were playing in their 500th game in program history, outhit the Buffs 14-7 and did not commit an error in the game. WT (16-12, 3-6 LSC) led the game 3-2 after the second inning and 6-5 going to the bottom of the seventh, but the Rams struck for three runs on three hits in the seventh and added an insurance run in the eighth to improve to 15-1 all-time at Foster Field against WT.

“I don't think there was any panic in our dugout even when we were down,” said ASU head coach Kevin Brooks, who has guided the ASU program to a 324-176 record since it was started in 2005. “That's a good feeling right now because three weeks ago it wouldn't have been like that. We are starting to play more confident as a team and that's exciting to see.”

Lee Neumann went 3 for 5 and scored three runs, while shortstop Christian Summers added two hits and two RBI for the Rams who improve to 9-7 at home this season. Quaid McKinnon had two hits in the game, including his ninth double of the season with a shot off the left-center field fence to lead off the third inning. David Goggin, who was hitting eighth in the lineup, drove in the first run of the seventh inning with a bases loaded single to right field and was followed by Choate driving a double down the left field line from the ninth spot in the ASU order.

“It's really helping us to get production from the bottom part of the lineup right now,” Brooks said. “Hunter is doing a great job at the plate right now. We needed to get going from that part of the lineup and it's making a difference in these games for us.”

Bryant Rutledge (4-1) earns the win after coming into the game into the game in the seventh inning for starter Mike Weatherly. Rutledge, who has thrown in five straight games, struck out one and was not charged with a run in his win. James Conlee recorded the final out of the eighth inning and the first of the ninth, while Austin Church recorded the final two outs of the game to earn his first save of the season. Weatherly struck out six and allowed six runs in a 115-pitch effort in the first game of the series.

“He did a great job battling out there,” Brooks said. “His velocity was down tonight but he didn't give up on his pitches and kept battling to give us a lot of innings.”

Scott Cone (2-1) receives the loss for the Buffs after a solid relief appearance. Cone entered the game in the sixth inning and got WT out of a bases loaded jam without surrendering a run. ASU would get to him in the seventh though as he allowed three runs on two hits. Ryan Houston went five innings with four strikeouts and five earned runs in the start for WT.

Justin Henderson led WT with four RBI on two hits in the game. Henderson hit a three-run home run in the second inning for his first home run of the season and then delivered a single to right field to score another run in the third. Matt Redfearn also had two hits and scored two runs for the Buffs.

Angelo State and WT resume the series with a 4 p.m. doubleheader on Friday back at Foster Field before playing the series finale at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Jake Feckley (4-3) is scheduled to make the start for the Rams in Friday's first game.