BOX SCORE: Angelo State 8, No. 6 West Texas A&M 7

SAN ANGELO – David Goggin and Derek Tyner had three hits and drove in two runs each to help lead the Angelo State baseball team to an 8-7 series-opening win over No. 6 West Texas A&M on Friday at Foster Field.

Jason Zgardowski closed out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his second save of the season and Graylon Brown (4-2) earned the win in relief of starter Blake Bass who struck out four in six innings of work.  ASU improved to 12-8 in one-run games this season and to 15-7 at home with the win.

"It's elimination time and every game is really important for us," ASU head coach Kevin Brooks said. "We had to have this one and we have to come out ready to take care of things tomorrow. I wish we could have played better throughout the game, but I was proud of them for continuing to fight and get the win."

The Rams (24-18, 13-14 LSC) and Buffs (30-11, 18-9 LSC) will resume and conclude their three-game set with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday. The day will start with seniors Jake Albert, Tyler Coughenour, Jake Feckley, Mason Leavitt, Reggie Rodriguez and Christian Summers being honored prior to the first game.

ASU finished the opener with nine hits and survived four errors in the field to take its first win of the season against WT after the Buffs swept a four-game series earlier this season in Canyon. The Rams responded to a first-inning run by WT by scoring two runs in the first inning off Dylan James who had a 3-0 all-time record against the Rams coming into the game.

JP Zapata, batting leadoff for only the second time this season, led the bottom of the first inning off with a walk and would score on a David Goggin triple down the right field line. Derek Tyner then delivered a one-out single to left field to score Goggin from third to give the Rams a 2-1 lead.

"That was a huge inning for us," Brooks said. "It was a big walk by JP and it was just as we had scripted. That doesn't happen very often and it was good to see from the beginning. We had a good intensity from the beginning. Derek put together a great at-bat with two strikes to get David in."

Bass and James would throw scoreless second and third innings before the Buffs got a run in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 3-2 advantage. WT tacked on another run in the top of the seventh to grab a 4-2 lead before the Rams scored six runs on four hits and an error in the bottom of the inning.

Coughenour led the inning off by being hit by a pitch for the 13th time this season and Brett David was hit by another pitch to put runners on the corners with one out. Zapata drove in Coughenour with a seeing-eye single through the middle of the infield and Goggin followed with a run-scoring single to left field to tie the game at four. Tyner once again mirrored Goggin by driving in another run with a single to right field for a 5-4 lead.

The Rams would tack on two more runs when Rodriguez flied out to right field. The WT right fielder made a throwing error allowing Goggin and Summers to score and Tyner moved to third. ASU added its eventual game-winning run with Hunter Choate hitting an RBI single to center field to score Tyner from third.

"That was a big hit there by Hunter Choate to get that eighth run for us," Goggin said. "We know that any team in the Lone Star Conference has the ability to come back from any deficit and you have to keep producing runs. That was a big hit for us."

WT didn't go away with the Rams leading 8-4 and would score three runs on two hits and an error in the top of the eighth before Jake Albert recorded a bases-loaded strikeout on a full count pitch to keep the Rams in front by a run. ASU would go quietly in the bottom of the eighth to set up the ninth inning.

Zgardowski, who will start Game 2 of the series on Saturday, entered the game in the ninth in his fourth relief appearance of the season. Coming off a weekend where he took two losses against Tarleton State, Zgardowski received a strong play from Coughenour at shortstop for the first out and then fanned the second out on four pitches. The game ended with Zgardowski getting a groundout to Choate at second base to secure the win for the Rams.

"As we preach here at Angelo State, you move forward in your next outing or next plate appearance and do everything you can to get the job done," Goggin said. "Jason did that tonight for us. He battled for us and got a huge save."

Goggin finished the game 3-for-5 with two RBI and a triple, while Tyner was 3-for-4 with two RBI on three singles. Zapata, Choate and Cameron Massengill had a single each for the Rams. Bass did not receive a decision in the game after striking out four, walking one, scattering six hits and allowing four runs in six innings of work. Brown took the win despite walking four and allowing three earned runs to score, while Albert recorded the final two outs of the eighth inning with a groundout and the strikeout with the bases loaded.

James also did not receive a decision in the game after striking out seven and allowing only four hits through five innings for WT. Sam Oulett (2-1) took his first loss of the season after allowing four runs on four hits after he came in as the third WT pitcher of the night. Kyle Olason struggled with his command, hitting three Rams and giving up two runs in 1 1/3 innings. Matt Redfearn led the Buffs at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two RBI while Aaron Blair added to his LSC-leading RBI count with a pair of RBI on one hit.