LUBBOCK, Texas –
Conagher Sands provided the sixth-seeded Angelo State (40-18, 32-16) baseball team with late-game heroics to take game one of the South Central Super Regional over top-seeded Lubbock Christian (44-15, 35-13) on Friday night.
LCU struck first in the bottom of the game's opening inning as the lead off single followed by an error put a runner in scoring position for a sacrifice fly to take an early one-run lead.
In the bottom of the third, the Chaps took advantage of a lead off triple and a fielding error to have two runners aboard for a three-run home run down the left-field line to make it a 4-0 contest.
The Rams stormed back in the top of the fifth inning.
Justin Harris began things with a one-out single through the right side. After he stole second,
Ryder McDaniel drew a five-pitch walk before
Christian Garnette hit a pinch-hit single to right field to load the bases for singles by
Tayten Tredaway and
Jacob Guerrero followed by a ground out from
Tripp Clark to tie the ballgame.
ASU took the lead in the sixth with back-to-back solo home runs from
Conagher Sands and
Weston Valasek. However, LCU responded quickly in the ensuing half-inning, as the Chaps pieced together an error and two singles to score two runs and once again, tie the game.
The game remained scoreless was forced into extra innings. The action did not pick up until the top of the 10th when Sands hit a two-out single into right field. In the following at-bat, he stole second base on a delayed steal attempt and scored on the same play after a throwing error by the catcher and a fielding error by LCU's center fielder gave the Rams the lead.
Caleb Heuertz set down the Chaps in order in the bottom half of the 10th to clinch his first pitching win of the season. The senior from San Angelo pitched five innings in relief where he did not allow a run but three total base runners while striking out six.
The Rams look to capture the series on Saturday where the first pitch of game two is scheduled for 2 p.m. with the if necessary game three scheduled to take place approximately 40 minutes after.
