SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State baseball team exploded offensively in Friday night's series opener against Eastern New Mexico, winning 22-5 at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium.
The Rams (27-12, 8-5 LSC) match the program record for home runs in the game with six and scored more than 20 runs for the second straight home game.
"We were able to really able to feed off Mike and the leadoff double from him," Angelo State head baseball coach Kevin Brooks said. "The biggest thing for me looking at the stat sheet though is zero strikeouts. When you put the ball in play, good things tend to happen."
The offensive onslaught began with the first batter of the game, as left fielder Michael Urquidi doubled off the right field wall. He quickly advanced to third on a ground ball before Nicholas Novak reached base as well. Novak then stole second, and an errant throw from the ENMU catcher plated Urquidi for the first run of the day.
Novak also came in to score when the next batter, Bradley Mathiowetz, homered to center field and give the Rams an early 3-0 lead.
The Greyhounds struck for a run off ASU starter Tyler Lesley in the top of the second, but the Rams added three more runs themselves with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the second. Jacob Boston led off the second with a single and Elias Aguirre followed with a single of his own. Catcher Joe Scott Pace then quickly cleared the bases, smashing the first pitch he saw over the left field wall for his first career home run.
Urquidi followed up with a walk before Ram second basemen Trevor Moses hit another home run, his third of the season, giving the Rams a 8-1 lead at the end of the second.
The third inning is when ASU scored their most runs, as the first three batters reached base via the walk. The first run of the inning came in a sacrifice fly from Urquidi, and another came in on a balk. Then Moses came back up to the plate and hit another two-run homer. The Minnesota native is now tied for the team lead with four.
Another two runs came in before the Greyhounds were finally able to get out of the third inning, and ASU led 14-3.
The runs did not stop in the fourth, as Aguirre led off. The Midland native was playing in his 170th game as a Ram on the night, but for the first time ever hit a ball over the fence while playing at Angelo State.
Pace reached again later in the inning, as did Novak, and the two scored on a triple from Mathiowetz. Mathiowetz ended the game just a double shy of the cycle, but nonetheless was 4-5 with four RBI and three runs scored on the night.
The first three Angelo State batters reached again in the fifth and all came in to score when Alex Salcido, hitting for Pace, smacked the sixth home run of the day for a grand slam. The homer brought Aguirre into score for the fourth time on the night, which led the team.
Logan Voth got an out to start the sixth, relieving Lesley, but was then replaced by Austin Thomason, making his first appearance of the season. Thomason record the final five outs to close out the game, all by way of the strikeout as the Rams secured the 22-5 win.
The Rams will play three more games against the Greyhounds this weekend with a doubleheader at 4 p.m. on Friday and the series finale on Sunday. At Saturday's doubleheader, all little league players 12 and under who wear their jersey will be admitted for free. There will also be a grand slam carnival to raise scholar ship money for the Coaching, Sport, Recreation and Fitness Administration graduate program.
