LAREDO, Texas – The No. 18 Rams (23-12, 21-12 LSC) baseball team fell in the series opener to Texas A&M International (18-21, 18-19 LSC) by a score of 8-4 in Laredo on Friday afternoon.

The Dustdevils struck first in the opening inning as their lead off batter was hit by a pitch to reach base before stealing second to put himself in position for an RBI-single to left center. International went on to add another run in the fourth on a passed ball before Rams' starter Dax Dathe collected a strikeout to escape the jam.

Dathe's day was over after four and a third innings where he allowed four runs, two earned, off five hits and four walks while striking out eight as he suffers his first loss of the season.

The Rams responded in the top of the fifth inning as Kamden Kelton got on base with a one-out double before Hunter Holt sliced a double to left-center to make cut the deficit in half. This did not last long as TAMIU took advantage of ASU miscues to add two more runs in the ensuing half inning to make it a 4-1 contest.

In the seventh, Justin Harris hit a ball down the left field line for a solo home run to bring the game within two runs before International responded with a grand slam in the bottom half of the inning.
ASU scratched two more across in the eighth as Tripp Clark, Conagher Sands and Weston Valasek each worked their way on base to load them up for a Kanon Brooks sacrifice fly and a single through the middle by Kelton to bring the game within four runs. The Blue and Gold threatened in the top of the ninth as they were able to load the bases once again, but a couple of fly outs and a strikeout concluded the ballgame.

The Rams and Dustdevils will continue the series with a doubleheader tomorrow, Saturday, April 6 with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.