SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State baseball team opened its four-game series against Texas A&M-Kingsville with a 4-2 extra-inning loss to the Javelinas on Friday at Foster Field after Blake Bass tied the game at 1-1 with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth and Jake Feckley turned in one of his strongest pitching performances of his career.

ASU (16-10, 6-7 LSC) fell to 1-5 this season in extra-innings games and dropped its fifth straight conference game after being swept last weekend at West Texas A&M. The series resumes with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and will conclude with a 1 p.m. series finale on Sunday. The Javelinas (14-10, 8-5 LSC)  

Feckley (4-2) matched his career-high with nine strikeouts and scattered six hits in 9.2 innings of work, but took his second straight loss of the season. The senior surrendered two earned runs in the 10th innings after the Javelinas scored their first run of the game in the third inning off an error following a strikeout.

"He battled and competed like the winner he is and almost single-handily won it for us," ASU head coach Kevin Brooks said. "Right now with our offense struggling, it's going to take that kind of effort from our pitchers. We just didn't do our part as a team to earn the win. I thought we played hard and competed, but we just didn't execute in key situations."

Feckley's nine strikeouts took his career total to 154 and moved him into second place all-time at Angelo State, passing Kenny Elkind (2008-09) who had 146 strikeouts in his career. Feckley, who threw 85 of his 120 pitches for strikes in the game, saw the Javelinas score three runs on four hits in the 10th inning. The first two hits were against him with Clint Wallace hitting a one-out double down the left-field line and pinch hitter Miles Holcomb breaking the tie with an RBI single through the right-side of the ASU infield. After Feckley recorded the second out with on a lineout to Reggie Rodriguez in left field, Mason Leavitt entered the game in relief and walked the only batter he faced. Graylon Brown came into the game from the bullpen and allowed two RBI singles to give the Javelinas a 4-1 lead.  

"Credit Kingsville for going out there and getting the tack-on runs on our bullpen," Brooks said. "Those runs proved to be big for them. They were making plays throughout the game and we weren't able to capitalize on some of the positive things that our offense did."

Christian Summers drove in the second run of the game for the Rams with a two-out single to center field to score Hunter Choate who led the inning off by being hit by a pitch, but Nehwon Norkeh grounded out to shortstop after Rodriguez singled to right field to end the game.

Bass, who will start Saturday's second game, led the Rams at the plate going 2-for-4. His eighth-inning home run was his first home run of the season. Derek Tyner, Choate, Summers and Rodriguez each had one hit for the Rams in the game. ASU left five runners on base in the game, including not scoring after the leadoff hitter reached base in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings. Choate led off the fifth inning with a triple when the ball went to the fence after the center fielder made a diving effort, but ASU was unable to score after a hard line-out by Brett David for the first out was followed by Choate being thrown out at home by TAMUK shortstop Derrick Walls for the second out and Ponder recording the third out on a strikeout.

Hayden James (1-0) earned the win for TAMUK after throwing one inning of relief for starter Dallas Ponder. James allowed two runs and hit two batters, but did not allow a hit. Ponder was stuck in a pitcher's duel with Feckley throughout the night and did not receive a decision after striking out seven and allowing only four hits in 8.0 innings of work. Justin Lee led the Javelinas by going 3-for-5 with an RBI, while Ryan Scott recorded the save by closing out the 10th inning.