SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State baseball team defeated Texas Permian Basin 9-7 and 15-3 in two games of doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium to clinch a series win.
The Rams (16-5) racked up 24 hits and 15 walks in the two games combined to score all 24 of the runs on the day. They also stole 10 bases in the first game alone, which is the second most in a single game in ASU program history.
ASU did not start the offensive onslaught early in the day, getting just one run in the first two innings of the first game. Andrew Morales singled to start the inning and moved to third on a single from Alex Salcido. Morales then scored on a ground ball from Parker Bramlett.
Morales had one of his best games of the season in the first game of the season, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI.
The third inning began with a leadoff batter reaching as well as Michael Urquid singled. The Rams ended up batting around in the inning, scoring six runs and breaking the game open for a six-run lead.
The offensive onslaught continued throughout the game, as three Rams recorded multi-hit games, including Urquidi, Morales and Salcido. Nicholas Novak, Mitch Henshaw and Bramlett all reached base multiple times as well with hits and walks.
UTPB clawed back into the game with three runs in the fifth inning, but the Rams answered with a run in the fifth and one in the sixth. Urquidi again sparked the scoring effort in the fifth with a single, advancing to third on a Novak single. The pair then worked a double steal to score Urquidi.
The ninth and final Angelo State run of the day was added on the sixth pitch of the sixth inning, as Morales worked a full count and then blasted a line drive home run into the right field bullpen. It was the junior's first home run of the season.
Reliever Kellen Rholl earned the win in game one after working 1.2 scoreless innings to move to 2-0 on the year. Jared Velasco finished off the win, earning his first save of the season.
On the mound to start game two was true freshman Trent Baker, who earned his second win of the season in the nightcap.
The Georgetown native gave up a solo home run to start off the game, but settled down after that, pitching five innings while allowing just two more hits and striking out eight a career-high eight batters.
The Angelo State offense got the run back in the bottom of the second, again thanks to the efforts of Morales and Salcido. With one out, Morales doubled to right center. Salcido followed with a triple of his own to right center to score the first ASU run of the game.
Another big inning in the bottom of the fourth once again broke the game open for the Rams. Jacob Boston and Morales both reached base to start the inning. Salcido drove a single up the middle to score Boston, and Bramlett followed with a walk to load the bases.
Designated hitter Bradley Mathiowetz came up the plate next, and singled into right field to score Morales. An error scored Salcido, and Novak and Henshaw worked back-to-back walks for another two runs.
Salcido and Bramlett both each scored again in the bottom of the fifth inning to push the lead to 8-1. In game two, Salcido reached base four times by way of three hits and a walk and scored three runs, while Bramlett went 2-for-4 with a walk and scored three runs while driving in three himself.
If the game was not broken open before, ASU finished it off in the bottom of the sixth, sending 13 batters to the plate and scoring another seven runs. The batters included infielder Ryan Cole, who got his first hit, RBI and run scored of his career in the game, as well as Nicholas Barron, who drove in his first run of the season.
Shannon Broussard finished off the game for Baker, pitching the final two innings while giving up a pair of runs, and ASU won 15-3.
The Rams will go for the sweep of the Falcons on Sunday, but have changed the schedule for a 2 p.m. first pitch at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium.
