LAREDO, Texas – The Angelo State baseball team closed out its three game series with a 7-2 victory sweeping Texas A&M International on Saturday afternoon.
The Rams improved to 3-0 on the year with the win. The ASU offense managed to score seven runs off of eight hits, while the defense committed no errors for the third consecutive game. Pitcher Matt Shannon was awarded the win, tossing seven strike outs in six innings, only walking one and giving up only three hits. With today's loss the TAMIU Dustdevils dropped to 1-5 on the year.
"I thought we showed a lot of toughness all weekend," said ASU head baseball coach Kevin Brooks. "Joey [Wise] and Matt [Shannon] pitched well and did well defensively. We got some guys on base and then got some big hits from Paxton [DeLaGarza]. We did a lot of really good small things all weekend and were really solid. We have got three down and fifteen more to go before we get back home, so it was good to get off to a good start."
ASU came out of the gates swinging with Paxton DeLaGarza hitting a double on the screws that would score Sam Kohler for an RBI. Then Christian Abilla showed the wheels laying down a bunt for a single that would score a runner from third making the game 2-0. The Dustdevils answered in the bottom of the inning with an RBI double of their own that brought the score to 2-1. TAMIU added one more in the bottom of the sixth via an RBI single.
With the score a tied up at 2-2 in the top of the seventh and Abilla hit a single to right. The Dustdevil's right fielder committed an error on the hit which he took advantage of by advancing to third. Michael Urquidi then followed up with another single that would score Abilla and put the Rams back up by one, 3-2. Angelo State did not let up in the eighth with Kohler knocking a sacrifice fly to right which would send the pinch runner, Elias Aguirre, from third to home after the tag up and make the score 4-2.
In the final inning of the game, with the bases loaded a balk by the TAMIU pitcher would push another Ram across making the score 5-2. Then with two outs and the bases juiced for once again, senior David Goggin stroked a two RBI single that would cap the Rams scoring off for the day.
Aguirre and Kohler lead the squad in the runs category each crossing the plate twice for the day. DeLaGarza and Abilla both hit for a team best .500 average going 4-for-2 on the day. The duo also each scored a run and added an RBI to their season totals. Starting pitcher Joey Wise worked three innings from the bump striking out two and allowing one run off of three hits.
The Rams continues its month long road tour with a doubleheader against Southeastern Oklahoma State on Friday, February 12 with the first pitch scheduled for noon.
