SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State baseball team came alive at the plate on Sunday afternoon at Foster Field at First Community Credit Union Stadium, defeating Regis 11-9 and taking the series two games to one.
The Rams (2-1) compiled 16 hits in the afternoon matchup, more than they did in the first two games of the series combined, while the Rangers (1-2) got nine hits of their own.
"We want to win every series and win every game, so today was good," Angelo State baseball coach Kevin Brooks said. "Coming out today, especially after losing game one and be able to win Saturday and Sunday is huge and hopefully gives us something we can build on."
With Kenton Schroter on the mound for ASU, the first inning was quiet for both teams. Schroter induced a ground ball from the first batter and then got back-to-back strikeouts in his first inning of work in 2017. The Rams were unable to get on the board in the first inning as well, getting just a two-out walk from Jay Gonzales in their first time to the plate.
It was the second inning that saw the Rams break the scoreless tie, as ASU has scored first in all three games of the 2017 season. Six Angelo State batters came to the plate in the inning, starting with catcher Matt Waller who singled to start the inning. Waller moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Steven Pinales followed with a single of his own before Elias Aguirre walked to load the bases, and Jonathan Soberanes got his first RBI as Ram with a single. The run would be the only one for the Rams in the inning.
Schroter shut down the Rangers in the third inning, but Regis would tie the game back up at one apiece in the fourth inning. The Rams responded in the bottom of the fourth with their first offensive explosion of the game. The first four ASU batters and five total singled in the inning as the Rams got three runs to take a lead they would never relinquish.
Regis got one run back to make the game 4-2 in the fifth inning, which is the last Schroter would pitch in. The Canada native pitched 4 2/3 innings in his 2017 debut, striking out five and earning the win.
The Rams broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning, as left fielder Clay Wegner worked a ten-pitch walk with two outs. Aguirre followed with a single, and Soberanes hit a double to right center for his second and third RBI of the day. Third basemen Jacob Boston hit his first home run on the year with Soberanes on base to increase the lead, and shortstop Tyler Coolbaugh would score the fifth and final run of the inning after being hit by a pitch, going to third on a single from Gonzales and trotting home on a balk by the Rangers' pitcher.
ASU scored one more run in the sixth and in the eighth while Regis got runs in in the seventh and the ninth, but the Rangers would never tie the game back up as the Rams won, 11-9.
Angelo State will be back at home for its next series against Southeastern Oklahoma State on February 10-11. The Rams will play game one at 5 p.m. Friday and play a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Saturday with all games taking place at Foster Field at First Community Credit Union Stadium.
