SAN ANGELO – The No. 1 Angelo State softball team wrapped up a three-game sweep of Texas Woman's on Saturday with a 4-0 and 7-1 win at Mayer Field.
The Rambelles (35-2, 13-1 LSC) scored its highest total of runs since scoring seven against Lubbock Christian on March 13. The Pioneers (20-14, 9-8 LSC) were held to one run on six hits in the doubleheader sweep. The first win gave Angelo State head softball coach Travis Scott, the program's all-time winningest coach, his 600th win at Angelo State.
"It was big to get the sweep," Scott said. "TWU had been on a roll winning 11 of 12 but Brandy Marlett was huge today. She really had good command and shut them down. She gave us an opportunity to get two wins. We didn't hit the ball very well in game one but we did what we needed to do to win. Game two we finally stepped up and hit the ball the way we are capable of doing. It was nice to see."Â
Brandy Marlett came out in game one and held an opponent to two hits or less for the fourth straight game and for the 11th time this season. She struck out two of the first three batters to start the game.
The Rambelles jumped out to an early lead with a run in the bottom of the first. Danae Bina was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to allow Bailey Wallace to score the first run.
Two more runs were scored in the top of the second inning. A squeeze bunt by Wallace scored Karina Rocha and a Courtney Barnhill RBI double made it 3-0. The double was ASU's first hit of the game.
The final run of the game came in the bottom of the fourth. Taegan Kirk stepped to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second. The sophomore sent a ball up the middle to score Urbany from second.
Marlett continued to stifle TWU sitting down nine straight at one point. The junior would throw 6.0 innings only allowing one hit and striking out eight to earn her 16th win of the season. Morgan Hill closed the game out in the seventh only giving up one hit.
The Rambelles offense woke up in the series finale and Marlett pitched another gem.
Madison Greenwell led off the final game with a ground-rule double to center and Urbany brought her home with a single up the middle. Two batters later, Kirk doubled to left field to make it 2-0.
Amanda Ramage led off the second with a bang. The junior hit her first career home run at ASU sending a ball over the field fence. Back-to-back hits and a hit by pitch loaded the bases. After Urbany was hit by a pitch to score a run, Kirk added two more RBI to her season total with a two RBI single up the middle. Kirk finished the day a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI. A TWU error allowed the fifth run of the inning to score unearned for a 7-0 ASU advantage.
It would be all Marlett would need. The junior won her 17th game by throwing 5.0 innings and only allowing one run. Hill would come in for the final two innings. The duo only gave up two hits apiece and struck out two each.
The Rambelles will hit the road for Stephenville for its next series with Tarleton State starting on Friday, March 31.                                                                            Â
