SAN ANGELO – The No. 8-ranked Angelo State baseball team opened Lone Star Conference play with a doubleheader sweep of Cameron with a 6-3 win in the first game and a 5-4 victory in the nightcap on Sunday at Foster Field and extended its winning streak to 11 games.
The Rams (12-1, 2-0 LSC) and Aggies (6-7, 0-2 LSC) will resume and conclude their four-game series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Monday at Foster Field. ASU's 11-game winning streak is the second longest streak in program history and is only two wins shy of the record of 13 which was established in 2006. All 11 wins have come at home and the Rams have now outscored their opponents by a 93-39 combined score this season.
Steve Naemark (3-0) and
Blake Bass (4-0) earned wins in the doubleheader and
Dillon Becker recorded two saves against the Aggies by closing out both games. Naemark earned his third straight win after striking out six and not allowing an earned run in six innings of work. The junior left-hander scattered seven hits and now has 44 strikeouts and a 0.90 ERA through five starts and 30 innings of work this season. Bass matched his career-high with seven strikeouts and earned the win in the second game after going 6.0 innings. Bass has recorded seven strikeouts in his past three starts and now has a 1.55 ERA and 28 strikeouts through 29.0 innings of work this season. The senior right-hander scattered eight hits and walked only one.
"I thought we got two great starts today from Steve and Blake and had solid relief appearances today," ASU head coach Kevin Brook said. "Offensively,
Paxton DeLaGarza had a great game and
Cameron Massengill and
Brett David had really good games. Brett made two huge defensive plays for us in that first game that allowed us to win the game. I thought almost everyone did something today to help us win today which is good to see. Cameron is a good team and it was good to find a way to get it done. We know it's going to be tough tomorrow, but we just need to come out ready to play like we have been throughout this season."
Becker now has three saves this season after closing out both games on Sunday. He cruised through the first save, striking out two and getting a groundout in the seven-inning game. In the night cap, things got interesting with Cameron scoring two runs in the top of the ninth and had the tying run at third base with two outs. With a 5-4 lead, Becker got Cody Knight to ground out to
Hunter Spear at third base to sweep the series and pitch up his third save.
Nehwon Norkeh led the Rams in the first game, going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in the sixth inning to give ASU the 6-3 lead. Norkeh now has four home runs this season and is hitting .358 going into Monday's games.
"Nehwon has already had some really big hits like that for us this season," Brooks said. "He's the type of player that can put his team on his back and carry us to wins."
Paxton DeLaGarza,
Cameron Massengill and
Brett David each had two hits in the first game and led the Rams who finished with an 11-7 hit advantage in the win. ASU took its first lead in the third inning with DeLaGarza driving in Norkeh with an RBI double down the left-field line and added three runs on three hits and an error in the fifth. Massengill had an RBI in the inning with a single to center field and
Derek Tyner added another run on a sacrifice fly before David drove in Massengill with a single to left field. Cameron would cut the lead to one with three unearned runs in the sixth before Norkeh gave the Rams breathing room with the home run.
In the second game, Cameron jumped out to a 2-0 lead with two runs in the third inning before the Rams came back with two runs in the fourth and fifth innings. ASU tied the game in the fourth with David hitting a sacrifice fly to center field to score Massengill and then the tying run scored with Tyner coming home on a wild pitch. ASU took the lead in the fifth with DeLaGarza leading off the inning with a double and scoring on an error after a single by Massengill and then another run scored when Massengill raced home on a passed ball. ASU led 5-2 after
Sam Kohler scored on an error after reaching on a walk.
Tyner and
Cody Semler each went 2-for-3 in the second game, while Massengill and DeLaGarza went 2-for-4 for the Rams who had an 11-10 hit advantage in the nightcap.
Jordan Dailey (0-2) took the loss after allowing two runs in 2/3 innings of relief in the second game, while Dirk Masters (2-2) lost the first game for the Aggies after allowing four runs on eight hits. Masters struck out six Rams and did not walk a batter in five innings. Codey Upton did not receive a decision in his start for the Aggies in the second game after allowing five walks and five hits in 3 2/3 innings of work.
Bryce Zak (3-1) is scheduled to start Game 3 for the Rams on Monday, while the starter for the fourth game has not been determined. Zak is coming off an 11-strikeout performance against Regis last weekend and has a 1.26 ERA with 24 strikeouts through 14 1/3 innings this season. He will be making his third start and fifth appearance this season.
