SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State baseball team staved off elimination, beating Lubbock Christian 6-1 Saturday afternoon at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium but had their season cut short in the night game, falling to Colorado Mesa 4-0.
ASU needed a win in its noon matchup to avoid early elimination and did so by topping the three seed LCU 6-1. The Rams started Blake Barr on the mound for the win or go home game, and the junior gave up the only run of the game in during his two innings on the mound.
The Rams got on the score board first in the game, however, with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Mitch Henshaw got on base in the inning on a fielder's choice with two outs, allowing the next batter, Jay Gonzales, to blast a pitch over the left field wall for a home run.
Jake Mathys came in to relieve Barr in the top of the third inning and ended up closing out the game and earning the win. The Minnesota native went seven shutout innings while allowing just two hits. He ended the season with an 8-4 record.
The Angelo State hitters helped out again in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring a pair of runs in each inning. Steven Pinales led off the fourth inning by beating out an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Nick Novak. Junior Elias Aguirre followed with a single that allowed Pinales to score, and then Aguirre stole second to put himself in scoring position. One batter later, Tyler Coolbaugh singled as well to score Aguirre.
Gonzales was a part of the scoring again in the fifth, singling with one out. This time, however, the designated hitter got to score on another hitter's home run as Jacob Boston smashed a pitch over the left field wall. Boston finished the season with 11 home runs overall.
Neither team scored after the home run, pushing the Rams into the 7 p.m. matchup with Colorado Mesa.
In the nightcap, ASU started junior Matt Shannon on the mound for the second time in the regional tournament, this time on just three days rest. He went 5.1 innings pitched, striking out six batters and allowing just three runs on three hits.
Dustin Angiel came in to relieve Shannon and gave up one more run to the Mavericks before ending the scoring.
Chris Ramirez started the game for Colorado Mesa and pitched a complete-game shutout and just allowing four hits in the matchup. Tyler Coolbaugh and Steven Pinales had all four hits, as each singled and doubled in the game.
The Rams ended the season with a 43-15 record overall. It is the third most wins ASU has recorded in a single season and the highest winning percentage any Ram team has ever had.
