LAREDO – Angelo State freshman Nehwon Norkeh blasted a three-run home run to left field to cap a seven-run seventh inning and help lead the Rams to a 14-3 run-ruled shortened win over Texas A&M International on Sunday at Jorge Haynes Field.

ASU (5-0) swept the three-game series from the Dustdevils (3-4) and is now one win shy of matching the best start to a season in the 10-year history of the baseball program. The Rams pounded out 17 hits and did not commit an error in the win on Sunday and will now travel to Lubbock next weekend for a three-game series against Lubbock Christian to continue their eight-game road trip to begin the 2014 season.

"We did a good job of battling and using the middle of the field," ASU head coach Kevin Brooks said. "Today was another example of us doing a good job of two-out hitting and in two-strike counts. We didn't give many at-bats away throughout the day and the series."

Brett David continued his torrid start to the season, going 3-for-4 with a double and RBI for the Rams, while Norkeh finished the game with four RBI on two hits and Tyler Coughenour added three more hits. Miles Gully (1-0) earned the win on the mound for the Rams in relief, striking out five and allowing only one hit and one walk in 2.2 innings of work.

Angelo State led 5-1 going into the bottom of the fourth inning after it posted runs in the first and second inning and then put up three runs in the top of the fourth. ASU opened scoring when Coughenour stole home after reaching on a first-inning single. Derek Tyner produced the second run with an RBI single to center field in the second inning to score David who hit a one-out double to left field. The fourth inning saw three two-out runs produced started by a Reggie Rodriguez double to score Tyner and then Rodriguez scoring on an error and Cameron Massengill on a Norkeh single to left-center field.

ASU put the game away in the seventh inning, scoring seven runs on six hits without the assistance of any errors. Coughenour led off the inning with his second triple of the season and scored on a David Goggin single. Hunter Choate, who is 7-for-19 (.368) this season, drove in Goggin with a double and would score himself on a David single up the middle. Norkeh would give the Rams the 11-run lead with a home run to left field to score Massengill and Tyner and set up Bass to get ASU out of Laredo two innings sooner than scheduled.

"We did a good job of taking pitches and going after the ones we can handle," Norkeh said. "They weren't coming in on us today and we took what we got to make things happen. As a team, we're pretty hungry and want to keep doing what we're doing and getting better each day."

Graylon Brown (0-0) received a no-decision after making his first start this season. Brown, who made 19 appearances with 18 in relief last season, went 3.1 innings with a strikeout and a scattering of three hits. Blake Bass made his first appearance on the mound at ASU, striking out one and allowing one harmless single in the bottom of the seventh inning.
David has started the season going 8-for-13 at the plate with three doubles, while Coughenour is 10-for-19 with eight runs scored.

"Brett is doing a great job of going to the plate with a great approach and taking what they're giving him," Brooks said. "He's getting in good hitter-counts and is driving the baseball."

Norkeh, who has led off throughout the season, has five RBI and eight hits with Tyner going 5-for-12 in his first season at ASU. As a team, Angelo State is hitting .369 with 43 singles, 13 doubles, four triples and two home runs. The pitching staff has a 1.76 ERA with 42 strikeouts and has allowed only eight earned runs through five games.

"It's exciting because I don't think we are nearly to the point where we can get to," Brooks said. "There is a lot of improvement to make and I think this a team that is willing to work hard to get there."