G1 BOX SCORE: Tarleton State 3, Angelo State 1
G2 BOX SCORE: Angelo State 1, Tarleton State 0
 
SAN ANGELO – Blake Bass had the No. 11-ranked Angelo State baseball team running back to the dugout throughout the game with nine scoreless frames. Cameron Massengill then sent the Rams racing out onto the field to celebrate at the end.

Bass dominated on the mound, striking out six in a complete-game shutout performance and Massengill delivered the game-winning run with a bunt single as the Rams took a 1-0 Lone Star Conference win over Tarleton State after the Texans secured a 3-1 win (eight innings) in the first of two games on Saturday at Foster Field. Both games, which were scheduled for seven innings, were extended into extra innings in the doubleheader between the Rams (15-5, 5-2 LSC) and Texans (13-6, 4-3 LSC). ASU now leads the series 2-1 after Friday's 8-5 win in the series opener.

Massengill, with one out and Brett David on third and Christian Summers on first after an intentional walk, bunted on the first pitch he saw and positioned the baseball where Tarleton State pitcher Robert Baker had no play. David, who singled to center field to start the ninth inning, scored standing up and gave the Rams their second walk-off win at Foster Field this season.

"If we're going to lose a game, we're going to go down forcing the action," ASU head coach Kevin Brooks said. "We are never going to just sit back and wait. I had a lot of confidence in Cameron in that situation and he executed it perfectly to give us the win."

Bass (2-0) kept the Texans off the board in his second straight complete-game effort, striking out six, walking only two and scattering six hits. Bass, who was making his third start of the season and was coming off a dominant performance last week at Cameron, now has 18 strikeouts and only two walks through 21.2 innings of work this season.

"I felt good today with my main objective being to throw strikes and make them beat me," Bass said. "I had a good defense behind me that made me feel comfortable. I have confidence in my stuff and was just trying to give us a chance to win a game like this. I was just doing my job and keeping my team in it."

Bass threw 127 pitches on the day with 87 going for strikes. He had 12 groundouts and eight fly outs to go along with his six strikeouts.

"Blake was excellent today by throwing a lot of strikes on a day where the weather was bad and you couldn't beat yourself," Brooks added. "He was in a couple of situation where he had to make big pitches to get out of it and he did. He was great all day."

Massengill finished the game 2-for-3, while Reggie Rodriguez went 2-for-3 and stole a base. Hunter Choate extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the seventh inning and Summers and David also provided to the Rams' eight-hit game.

Barker (3-3) took the loss after a strong start for the Texans, striking out four and going 8.1 innings before the Rams took the win. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning and stranded seven runners on base. Rustin Thomas led the Texans with two hits in the game.

The Rams dropped their first game at Foster Field this season in the first game of the day, with Tarleton State taking a 3-1 win with two runs in the eighth inning. ASU starter Jason Zgardowski struck out five and scattered seven hits in 7.0 innings of one-run baseball and did not receive a decision in the game. The Texans scored both of their runs with two outs after reliever Mason Leavitt struck out the first batter he faced and coaxed a ground-out to second base for the second out.

A walk was followed by a Noel Nevarez RBI double to left field and TSU tacked on the third run on a Evan Robinson single to right field. Leavitt (0-1) took the loss for the Rams in the game, while Colton Burleson (3-2) earned the win after throwing a complete-game with two strikeouts.

Choate led the Rams with a 2-for-4 game, while Derek Tyner and Nehwon Norkeh each had hits for the Rams who were limited to four hits in the game by Burleson. Tyner's hit extended his hitting streak to eight games, while Norkeh took his streak to seven games. Both players would have their hitting streaks snapped in the second game.

Zgardowski (2-0) now has 25 strikeouts in his last three starts and has 35 strikeouts in 30.1 innings of work this season. 

The Rams and Texans will conclude the series at 1 p.m. on Sunday with a single game at Foster Field.   

"Good teams don't split at home so we're going to have to come out tomorrow playing with a lot of confidence and energy," Brooks said. "We're going to need to have the killer instinct and go out and win three of four in this series."