SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State baseball team earned a 9-4 win on Sunday at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium to clinch a series split with Texas A&M-Kingsville.
The Rams (26-8, 8-3 LSC) won the second game of the series as well as the series finale over the Javelinas (20-10, 6-2 LSC) to split the only series the two teams will play this year.
Elias Aguirre opened the game up for the Rams in the bottom of the first with a bang, tripling to left field on the third pitch he saw. Mitch Henshaw followed Aguirre with an extra-base hit of his own, doubling into the gap in left center to bring in the first run of the game. Henshaw would also score when the Rams' No. 3 hitter, Matt Waller, singled up the middle.
Henshaw would end up scoring three runs on the day, going 2-for-3 with a walk on the day.
The Javelinas responded immediately in the top half of the second inning, scoring four runs to take the lead, capped off by a two-run home run from Dallas Stefano.
Pitcher Shane Browning came in to relieve starter Kenton Schroter and get the final out of the inning. Browning ended up having one of his better outings of the season so far, hitting career highs in innings pitched (5.1) as well as strikeouts with eight on the day.
Browning also earned his first ever decision as a Ram pitcher in the game when his teammate retook the lead in the sixth and earned him his first win of the year.
Aguirre led off the run-scoring inning once again, this time singling to right field. Henshaw followed with a walk and then both advanced a base with a pickoff attempt went into the outfield. Aguirre scored when Waller singled in the next at-bat, and Pinales brought in Henshaw with a ground ball to put the Rams out in front. Waller eventually came around to score as well in the inning when Tyler Coolbaugh hit a triple to right field, putting the Rams up 6-4.
ASU pushed the gap wider in the seventh with another four runs. Nick Novak singled to start off the inning and Nate Ruane followed with a walk before be replaced for pinch runner Jonathan Soberanes. Both Soberanes and Novak came around to score when Aguirre followed with a bunt attempt that induced a fielding error from the Javelina pitcher. Henshaw followed with another double and then eventually came around to score again on a single from Jacob Boston.
Dustin Angiel came in to pitch the eighth inning in relief of Browning and stayed in to pitch the ninth as well. Angiel gave up just one hit in his two innings on the mound, shutting the door for the 9-4 win.
The Rams will be at home again this weekend for a three-game nonconference series with Texas A&M International. ASU will face the Dust Devils in a doubleheader on Friday starting at 4 p.m. before finishing out the series at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
