TYLER, Texas – Strong pitching performances from
Clayton Broeder and
Isaac Godard, paired with timely offense, powered the third-seeded, No. 13 Angelo State baseball team to a 5-1 victory over second-seeded, No. 6 UT Tyler on Friday night at Irwin Field.
With the win, the Rams improve to 42-17 overall and move within one victory of advancing to the NCAA South Central Super Regional for the sixth consecutive season.
Angelo State opened the scoring in the second inning after
Brett Smajstrla led off with a single through the left side. The Rams aggressively attacked on the bases as Smajstrla stole second before
Garrett Wallace reached on a fielder's choice. Wallace then stole second to put two runners in scoring position before a ground ball from
Gamaliel Jones resulted in a UT Tyler fielding error, allowing both runners to score for an early 2-0 lead.
Broeder delivered his strongest outing since joining the Rams, earning his second win of the season. The left-hander tossed 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out five.
The Rams added to their lead in the sixth inning when
Tate Greene singled to left-center field to lead off the frame. After advancing to third on a pair of groundouts, Greene scored on a
Hunter Holt single into right field to make it 3-0.
UT Tyler answered in the bottom half of the inning, stringing together back-to-back singles before loading the bases with a walk. A sacrifice fly brought home the Patriots' lone run before Godard entered and escaped further trouble with a strikeout.
Godard dominated down the stretch, recording the final eight outs of the game with six coming via strikeout to secure the save.
Angelo State added insurance in the eighth inning when Smajstrla drew a two-out walk before
Austin Beck launched a two-run home run to left field to cap the scoring.
The Rams and Patriots will meet again Saturday, May 17, with Angelo State needing one more win to advance to the South Central Super Regional. First pitch from Irwin Field is scheduled for 3 p.m., with an if-necessary game set for 7 p.m.
