STEPHENVILLE – The Angelo State softball team swept its opening series doubleheader with Tarleton State 5-4 and 9-4 in Stephenville on Friday evening.
The Rambelles improve to 21-12 and 10-8 in the LSC with the pair of wins. The TexAnns (17-18, 2-12 LSC) out hit Angelo State in both games (8-6 and 10-11) but ASU found the hits when they needed it. The two teams will play the second doubleheader tomorrow with first pitch at 1 p.m.
"After a rough two weeks of losing a lot of close games it was nice to win that one-run game finally," Angelo State head softball coach Travis Scott said. "Morgan Hill pitched outstanding in game one and Becky Wilhelm got the big hit in the first inning. We were shut down offensively after the first two innings but Morgan and the defense did enough to make it hold up. It was a big monkey off our back."
The Rambelles scored early in game one. Up 1-0 after a RBI fielder's choice from Alexis Evans, Becky Wilhelm hit a two-out double to right center to score two and put Angelo State up 3-0. The runs continued in the second. Bailey Wallace hit a sacrifice fly to score Morgan Hill and Ambra Hill was brought home on an RBI single from Kenedy Urbany. Urbany went 2-for-4 in the first game with one RBI and one run scored.
The TexAnns scored three runs in the bottom of the second to trim the lead to 5-4. Morgan Hill was game one's starter and settled in after the second. She only allowed one hit in the next two innings. Tarleton State scored another run in the fifth but Hill got a fly ball to centerfield for the third out to allow ASU to hang on to a 5-4 advantage.
The sophomore would only allow two more hits over the final two innings to earn her fourth win of the season. She threw a complete game allowing four runs on eight hits. The Salado native struck out two and walked three. It is Hill's fourth complete game of the season.
 ASU found itself down in game two 2-0 after a double scored two in the bottom of the second. Lanie Robinson led the inning off with a walk and would score on a RBI single form Urbany. Madison Greenwell was able to trot home after Alexis Evans drew a bases loaded walk to tie the game at two. Taegan Kirk came up with a big hit with the bases loaded to put ASU in front. The freshman sent a single to centerfield that plated both Bailey Wallace and Urbany.
Tarleton State made it a one run game in the bottom of the fourth but once again the Rambelles responded. It was Kirk again hitting a single, this time to right field, to make it 5-3. The Lubbock native finished the game going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and now leads the team with 28 RBIs.
It wasn't until the seventh inning that ASU was able to put it away. Brooke Mangold hit a single to centerfield to score Evans from second base for a 6-3 lead. Evans has now reached base safely in 30-straight games. Robinson drew a walk to load the bases for Ambra Hill. The senior got the big hit by sending a pitch to left field to clear the bases for a three RBI double. It is Hill's first double of the season. The Rambelles were up 9-3 going into the bottom of the seventh.
"I was proud of the way we competed offensively," Scott said. "I thought Brandy threw the ball well in game two and Tarleton State hit the ball hard. Â We had the lead going into the top of the 7th inning and Ambra Hill was able to break it open with the bases clearing double to put it away. It is something we have been waiting on as a team." Â
Brandy Marlett, game two's starter, would close the door with her sixth strikeout of the game to end the game at 9-4. The sophomore improves to 7-6 on the season after only allowed four runs on 11 hits. It is her seventh complete game of the season.
Both games will be heard locally on 1260AM KKSA with Jeremy Bryant on the call. Â
 "We have to be ready to do the same thing tomorrow," Scott said. "We have to continue to pitch and keep getting runners on base and get the big hit."
