SAN ANGELO, Texas – Despite a ninth inning rally to take the game to extra innings, the Angelo State baseball team fell to St. Mary's, 3-2, on Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Rams fell to 24-17 overall with Tuesday's non-conference loss. As this game did not have implications on the Rams Lone Star Conference standing, the team will remain in a three-way tie for first place with a 17-9 LSC record. Angelo State sent five total pitchers to the mound with reliever, Graylon Brown (4-5), being credited with the loss. Offensively, ASU matched the Rattlers as they each chalked up eight runs in 10 innings. With the win, St. Mary's moves to 24-17 and pitcher Jaryd Hodgson (4-3) received the win while closer Trent Rousseau earning his second save of the season.
"I was really proud of the way we came back but we just did not get it done in the end," commented head ASU baseball coach Kevin Brooks. "We just did not get our lead off guys on base, I was disappointed in the number of strikeouts and we did not really battle at the plate. We have a huge series this weekend and we need to come out and play like we are capable of."
Down 0-2 in the bottom of the ninth with Elias Aguirre on first, senior Sam Kohler got the Rams rolling with a RBI triple that bounced over the right fielder's head. Paxton DeLaGarza followed with a deep sac fly plating Kohler. With the score tied at two, the game would enter extra innings. The rattlers would add the go-ahead run in the top of the top of the 10th. In the bottom half of the inning, a Jarryd Klemm single placed the tying run on first. Pinch runner Clay Wegner would make it to third, however the Rams were unable to bring him home ending the game on a fly ball to left field.
Starter Jayden O'Dell, Dustin Angiel, Joe Hauser, Kenton Schroter and Brown all took to the hill for ASU, each putting in two innings of work. Brown led the pitching committee with four strikeouts. He gave up one run off of one hit and walked one. O'dell was next with retiring two batters on strikes. The senior gave up no runs and no hits.
Kohler led the ASU offense going 2-for-4 at the dish, adding a triple, a RBI and a run to his stats. Klemm also co-led the Rams with a pair of hits; while DeLaGarza recorded the team's only other RBI.
The Rams return to action in San Angelo on Friday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m., for a three game series with LSC co-leader, West Texas A&M.
