SAN ANGELO – Steve Naemark struck out eight and Derek Tyner, J.C. Snyder and Brett David each hit home runs to help lead the Angelo State baseball team to a 12-6 non-conference win over Texas A&M International in the first game of a three-game set at Foster Field.

Naemark (1-0) struck out eight of the 17 batters he faced and only allowed three hits in five innings of work, while the Rams had three three-run innings and finished the game with a season-high 19 hits. ASU (2-1) led the game 9-0 before the Dustdevils (2-2) made their run with six runs in the top of the eighth off three Ram relievers. Graylon Brown earned the save after recording two ground outs to finish off the eighth with the tying run on deck.

"I thought we really played great baseball for eight innings by hitting the ball hard all over the field and playing well in the field," ASU head coach Kevin Brooks said. "Steve is going to be really good for us each time he takes the mound. He's consistent and goes out and battles. He really didn't have his great stuff tonight, but he's good because he can still get guys out when he's not at his best. He's going to be a good one for us this year."

Nehwon Norkeh added to the offensive explosion by going 4-for-6 with two doubles, while Paxton DeLaGarza continued his strong start to his ASU career by going 3-for-5 with three RBI. Norkeh, who established a career-high with his four hits after having two three-hit games as freshman, led the game off with a double to center field which was lost in the sun by the TAMIU fielder and scored the game's first run on a DeLaGarza line-drive single to right field. Tyner added the second run with a one-out solo home run to left-center field in the second inning and DeLaGarza drove in Norkeh and Cody Semler with a double to take the score to 4-0 through the first two innings. Naemark, who was cruising through the TAMIU lineup, got another run in the third when Tyner singled to right-center field to plate Chandler Patterson who had reached on an error. ASU had its second of three three-run innings in the fourth when Snyder sent a shot over the left-center field fence to score Cameron Massengill and Norkeh.

"Getting offensive support like they gave me today makes you more comfortable out there," Naemark said. "You stay with the same approach out there trying to throw strikes and get 1-2-3 innings, but it takes some of the pressure off you to be perfect when your team is able to score like we did today. I was trying to attack early with fastballs and throwing good pitches out of the zone when I was ahead in the count to get them out. It's something I've been working hard at since the fall and that I'm getting better at."

Exiting with an 8-0 lead, Naemark turned the ball over to Trae Davis in the sixth. Davis, who missed most of last season with an injury, made quick work of the Dustdevils after getting a groundout to lead off the inning followed by two strikeouts. ASU scored its ninth run in the seventh with a Derek Steffek infield single which scored Semler. The Dustdevils would get to three ASU relievers in the eighth though to end the shutout and make it a game, but Brown shut the window of hope on the comeback and David hit a towering two-run home run down which was just inside the left-field foul pole to add to the Ram margin.

Brown (1-0) ended the game in the ninth with a foul out, line out and then a strikeout to end the first game this season at Foster Field with a six-run Angelo State lead. He earned the win on Monday in relief against McMurry in the season-opener and now has six career saves. Tyner, who hit .315 with 22 RBI last season, hit the first home run of his Angelo State career along with Snyder who joined the Rams this season after playing at BYU. David now has five career home runs after hitting four as a junior. Tyner, who went 3-for-5 with two RBI, had three RBI on Monday and now has driven in five runs through the first three games of his senior season.

 "Tyner had a really good day by staying on top and taking what the pitcher gave him," Brooks said. "He's a really good hitter and it was good to see him have a great day. He's really gotten stronger in the offseason. He got in the weight room and has some power now."

Jarryd Klemm went 2-for-3 and played in left field and at catcher, while Hunter Spear came off the bench to go 2-for-2. Spear currently leads the Rams with a .667 batting average with six hits in nine at-bats, while DeLaGarza is hitting .583 with seven hits and Norkeh leads the team with eight total hits and four doubles. Snyder leads ASU with four RBI.

The Rams and Dustdevils will continue and conclude their three-game set with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday back at Foster Field. Blake Bass (0-0) will start on the mound for the Rams in the first game, while Jayden O'Dell is scheduled to make his first start at Angelo State in the second game. Bass, who was a Lone Star Conference first-team selection last season and this year's LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, threw four innings of scoreless baseball on Monday in a no-decision against McMurry.