G2 BOX: Angelo State 4, Cameron 3

LAWTON, Okla. – Jason Zgardowski saved the day for Angelo State with nine strikeouts in a 4-3 win over Cameron following a 6-5 extra-inning loss by the Rams on Friday at McCord Field in the first two games of a four-game Lone Star Conference series.

ASU (11-4) and the Aggies (6-6) will resume and conclude the series on Saturday with a noon doubleheader.

Zgardowski (2-0) struck out nine and walked only one in 8.1 innings of work before Graylon Brown entered the game to earn his third save of the season despite seeing two runs score before recording the final out of the game with a strikeout and the tying run on second base. Zgardowski, a junior right-hander, has now recorded 19 strikeouts in his last two starts for the Rams after having 10 strikeouts in a complete-game seven-inning win last weekend against Colorado School of Mines at Foster Field.

"He did a great job of competing and threw strikes," said ASU head coach Kevin Brooks of Zgardowski. "It was really important to have him today. We had to have that game after we gave away the first game and he went out there and gave us what we had to have."

Derek Tyner drove in the first run of the game for the Rams in the first inning with a two-out single to score Nehwon Norkeh who reached with a leadoff hit-by-pitch before the Aggies tied the game at one in the bottom of the second. A 1-1 game reached the sixth inning until Hunter Choate delivered a single through the left side of the CU infield to bring home Tyner who had singled to reach base.

ASU added the insurance it would need with a run in the eighth inning when Tyler Coughenour had a pinch-hit single to right field to score Cameron Massengill and with a run in the ninth inning on an error. Cameron would make the game interesting in the bottom of the ninth, scoring two runs before Brown struck out the batter with the tying run at second base.

Massengill led the Rams at the plate, going 3-for-4, while Choate and Tyner each finished with two hits and an RBI in the second game of the doubleheader. Zgardowski, who was making his third start and fifth appearance, is now tied with Jake Feckley for the team lead with 30 strikeouts in 23.1 innings of work this season.
 
GAME ONE: Cameron 6, Angelo State 5 (9 innings)
Angelo State took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning, but saw Cameron score four runs in the top of the inning and then two runs in the bottom of the ninth to take a 6-5 extra-inning win in the first game of Friday's doubleheader at McCord Field.

ASU, which moved to 10-4 on the season with the loss, could not take advantage of six Aggie errors in the game and another solid start from Jake Feckley who held CU scoreless through five innings. The Rams led 2-0 after scoring first in the second inning with a run from Derek Tyner who led off with a single through the left side of the infield and then came home on an error by the first baseman. Tyler Coughenour led off the third inning with a single and scored on a David Goggin sacrifice fly to center field.

ASU would take a three-run lead in the fifth with Goggin driving in Nehwon Norkeh who reached on an error with a single through the right side of the infield and had a 4-0 advantage when Tyner scored an unearned run after an error by the right fielder.

With Feckley cruising through five innings, Cameron put up four runs on four hits in the top of the sixth highlighted by a Schaede two-RBI single. The game, originally scheduled for seven innings, was stretched to extra innings with the help of ASU reliever Mason Leavitt who had two strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh and two in the bottom of the eighth to keep the Aggies off the board.

Hunter Choate led off the top of the ninth and stole third to set up a sacrifice fly RBI by Reggie Rodriguez to give the Rams a 5-4 lead, but Cameron would get a leadoff single from Tobin Mateychic off Leavitt and advanced to second on a sac bunt. Dillon Becker entered the game with one out for the Rams, but walked the first two batters he faced and was replaced on the mound by Eric Monson. Dalton Hillard singled to right field to tie the game at five before Jordan Climpson singled to center field for the game-winning run.

Feckley received a no-decision after striking out six in 5.2 innings of work. The four earned runs in the sixth inning broke up a 32.0 inning scoreless streak Feckley had to start the season and he now has 30 strikeouts and a 1.10 ERA through 32.2 innings. Leavitt went 2.1 innings with four strikeouts and one earned run in his fourth appearance of the season.

The Rams finished the game with seven hits, including getting two from Coughenour and Choate. Goggin finished the game 1-for-4 with two RBI. Choate's double was his fourth of the season, while Goggin lifted his RBI count to 15. ASU stranded seven runners on base in the game.

ASU also dropped the series opener against Cameron the past two seasons before taking the final three games.