PORTALES, N.M. – The No. 19 Angelo State University baseball team continued its offensive surge with a doubleheader sweep of Eastern New Mexico on Saturday at Greyhound Baseball Field, winning 20-2 and 19-4.
With the victories, the Rams improved to 31-14 overall and 18-4 on the road. Angelo State has now scored 65 runs through the first three games of the series.
Game 1: Angelo State 20, Eastern New Mexico 2
The Rams opened the scoring in the second inning when
Hunter Holt singled up the middle.
Blake Wilhoite followed with a two-RBI double to extend the lead.
ASU broke the game open in the fourth, stringing together hits from Wilhoite,
Chase Pendley,
Payton Bush,
Austin Beck,
Brett Smajstrla and
Tate Greene to build an 11-0 advantage.
The Rams added seven more runs in the fifth. Pendley drove in two with a single, while Beck and Chris Bernal each drew bases-loaded walks. Greene added a sacrifice fly, and
Cooper Knight and
Connor DiGesualdo each contributed RBI efforts in pinch-hit appearances.
Gamaliel Jones and Pendley capped the inning with RBI singles.
Nick Gray earned the win, pitching a complete seven-inning game. He allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four to improve to 6-1.
Game 2: Angelo State 19, Eastern New Mexico 4
Angelo State carried its momentum into the second game, scoring seven runs in the first inning. Pendley opened with an RBI single, and with the bases loaded, Greene forced an error that scored two runs. Holt added a two-RBI double and later stole home as part of a double-steal sequence with
Jordan Kelly.
Eastern New Mexico answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning against starter
Clayton Broeder, who went 1 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run while striking out two.
The Rams extended their lead in the third.
Gamaliel Jones drove in two with a single, Pendley added an RBI single, and Bush followed with a run-scoring comebacker. Pendley later scored on a passed ball, and Greene added another RBI on a groundout.
Angelo State added runs in the fourth and fifth on a Jones RBI bunt single and a passed ball.
After the Greyhounds scored in the fifth, the Rams closed the scoring in the sixth.
Caleb Crider was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Beck followed with an RBI infield single followed by Greene and Knight, who added RBI singles of their own.
Ridge Morgan earned the win in relief, pitching the final five innings. He allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out five.
The Rams will go for the sweep in the series finale against the Greyhounds tomorrow, Apr. 19 with the first pitch set for 2 p.m. from the Greyhound Baseball Field.
