CANYON, Texas – The Angelo State baseball defeated No. 18 West Texas A&M, 8-5, splitting its four game series with the Buffs on Sunday afternoon.

With Sunday's win, the Rams improved to 15-10 overall and 8-4 in the Lone Star Conference.  Relief pitcher Joe Hauser earned his first win of the season with a 3 2/3 inning performance that began in the bottom of the fifth. The Angelo State offense recorded 12 totals hits, with four RBIs coming from pinch hitters. West Texas A&M dropped to 19-7, 8-4 LSC with the loss and the Buffs relief pitcher, Joshua Payne (2-2), was credited with the loss. The two teams will remain tied for first place in the Lone Star Conference with Texas A&M –Kingsville making it a three-way tie, as the Javelinas took 3-of-4 from Eastern New Mexico this weekend.  

"It was definitely a total team win and was huge to get the split up there in Canyon," commented ASU head baseball coach Kevin Brooks. "The guys off the bench were huge and everybody that was called upon stepped up today. Canyon has been a tough place for us to win over the past few years and this is probably one of the only splits I've ever been happy with in my coaching career."  

In the top of the ninth inning with the score of tied at five and the bases loaded, Clay Wegner drove a single to centerfield that crossed Elias Aguirre to give the Rams a 6-5 lead. Senior, Sam Kohler, followed with a single up the middle that plated a pair of insurance runs. Relief pitcher, Matt Shannon, then closed out the game sitting down two hitters and forcing a ground out to Kohler at second base, earning his first save of the season.

The Rams struck first in the top of the fourth with Christian Abilla getting things started with a two RBI single that scored Steven Pinales and Paxton DeLaGarza. The Buffs answered with two in the fourth and two in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. In the top of the seventh, Tyler Coolbaugh and Jay Gonzalez each recorded RBI singles that crossed three and brought the score to an even five apiece.

Starting pitcher, Kenton Schroter tossed 3 1/3 innings sitting down two and allowing two runs off of four hits. Winning pitcher, Hauser, recorded one strikeout and allowed only one run off of three hits.  At the Plate, Gonzales, Kohler and Abilla all recorded multiple RBIs for the game; while Coolbaugh, Aguirre and Nathan Ruane all recorded two hits each. Jarryd Klemm cranked the only double of the afternoon for the Rams. 

Angelo State returns to Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium for a four game series with the Cameron Aggies. Game one of the series will be on Thursday, March 24, with the first pitch slated for to be thrown out at 6:30 p.m. All four game will be broadcasted on 1260AM KKSA with the voice of the Rams, Jeremy Bryant, on the call.