SAN ANTONIO – The ninth-ranked Angelo State baseball team closed out the regular season with a three-game sweep of St. Mary's, defeating the Rattlers 12-5 and 15-5 in Saturday's doubleheader at Dickson Stadium.
 
The Rams finished the season 34-6 overall, winning their last 10 straight games, while StMU moves to 22-18 overall.
 
GAME ONE: #9 Angelo State 12, St. Mary's 5
The Rattlers struck first, loading the bases before scoring a run on a fielding error in the first inning.
 
Angelo State took the lead in the second inning, scoring on a wild pitch before Jordan Williams scored on a double play to go up 2-1.
 
Aaron Walters added a run in the third inning, singling through the right side to bring in Reese Johnson who walked to lead off the inning.
 
The Rams added three more runs in the fifth inning as Nicholas Novak doubled down the right-field line to bring in Josh Elvir. Novak came around to score on a fielding error while Koby Kelton singled to score Jordan Williams for the third run of the inning.
 
In the top of the sixth inning, Jackson Hardy came in to score on a balk before Novak hit a three-run homer to left field to give ASU a 10-1 advantage.
 
Benjamin Elder earned his eighth win of the season on the mound for ASU, tossing five innings with four hits and one run while striking out four batters. Jake Rogers pitched two innings in relief while Kyle Moseley closed the game, allowing one run off one hit with two strikeouts.
 
Angelo State continued scoring in the seventh inning as Johnson singled through the right side to score Kelton while Hardy reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Charlie Bartlett in the process.
 
StMU scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh, working a bases-loaded walk before scoring on a wild pitch and a groundout to the shortstop. The Rattlers scored their final run in the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run to left field.
 
GAME TWO: #9 Angelo State 15, St. Mary's 5
The Rams jumped ahead early in game two of the doubleheader, scoring five runs in the first inning, beginning with an RBI-single by Walters and a two-RBI single up the middle by Williams.
 
Angelo State pulled away further in the second inning, totaling nine runs to go up 14-0. The Rams scored three runs off walks with the bases loaded while Hardy brought in two runs off a single up the middle followed by a two-RBI double by Elvir.
 
Mat Szabo earned the win for the Rams, picking up his second decision on the mound after throwing four innings while allowing only one run off one hit while totaling six strikeouts. Austin Buley threw one inning of relief while Carson Childers closed out the game with no hits and two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.
 
The Rattlers added one run in the fourth and one run in the fifth, hitting RBI singles in each inning. After ASU added a run on a ground out by Ryan Neitsch in the sixth, St. Mary's added three more runs in the bottom of the inning, hitting a two-RBI single before scoring on a wild pitch.
 
The Rams will open the Lone Star Conference Tournament next weekend hosting a best two of three series at Foster Field at 1^st Community Credit Union Stadium beginning Friday, May 14.