SAN ANGELO, Texas – The Angelo State baseball team advanced to the Lone Star Conference Tournament title game eliminating both No. 22 Texas A&M – Kingsville, 11-1, and Cameron, 9-5, on Saturday.
The Rams improved to 34-19 overall with the pair of wins, while TAMUK dropped to 34-17 and Cameron to 31-21. With the losses both opposing teams were eliminated from the LSC tournament. ASU will advance to face West Texas A&M in the title game, however, the Rams will need to beat the Buffs in two straight games to take the tournament title as it is a double-elimination tournament.
Pitchers Bryce Zak (8-2) and Joe Hauser (4-1) earned Saturday's wins for the Rams. Zak recorded his 258th career strikeout tying the LSC Record that was set by Abilene Christian pitcher Mike Morgan from 1991-93. Graylon Brown was awarded his ninth save of the season with in the Rams second game of the day. Offensively the Rams exploded at the plate, outhitting both of its opponents 29-12 overall. The team recorded four total home runs, five total doubles and one triple. ASU also cranked in 20 total RBIs on the day.
ASU continued its hot streak from the previous game and got out to a 2-0 lead early in the second game with Jay Gonzales and DeLaGarza both adding RBIs to their final numbers. Then in the third, DeLaGarza cranked his second home run of the day to push the score to 3-0. Cameron answered with a four run fourth inning that would give them the 4-3 lead.
In the fifth, ASU kicked it back into gear with Michael Urquidi and David Goggin bombing a pair of multi-run home runs in the sixth to give the Rams an 8-4 lead. Cameron would try to get back on track, taking advantage of several ASU errors in the seventh to pull within three runs. However, Hauser would enter the game in relief and force a ground out killing the Aggie rally attempt. In the top of the ninth a RBI single by Jarryd Klemm would plate and insurance run and give the Rams a 9-5 lead and secure a trip to the final.
Jayden O'Dell started the game for the Rams putting in 3 2/3 innings of work. He gave up four runs on four hits and retired three batters on strikes improving his total to 25 on the year. Hauser entered the game in the bottom of the fourth and tossed three innings allowing zero earned runs and giving up only three hits to be credited with the win. Bowne completed the game for the Rams allowing only a single hit and striking out a pair.
DeLaGarza, Urquidi and Gonzales led the Rams offensive attack with three hits each. Klemm followed recording two hits for the game. Goggin, Urquidi and DeLaGarza all recorded homer runs during the game. DeLaGarza now leads the LSC with nine total homers on the season, while Goggin recorded his third and Urquidi his second. Urquidi also led the squad with three RBIs for the game.
The first game of the day for the team was an offensive showcase, with Goggin and Elias Aguirre placing the first ASU runs on the board in the second inning. The Rams continued to rack up the runs in the third as it increased its lead to 8-0. Klemm got the third inning scoring rally going with a RBI single to left. This was followed by a two RBI triple from Urquidi that plated Christian Abilla and Klemm. Nathan Ruane then crossed Urquidi with a sac fly to right field. Finally, Sam Kohler streamed a double down the left field line that brought home another two runs.
In the seventh, Ruane pushed across another run with ground out to second to take the Rams lead to 9-0. DeLaGarza capped off the team's scoring for the game with his eighth homer of the season, which was a two run bomb to left center. Texas A&M – Kingsville plated a runner in the bottom of the eighth and we unable to rally continue to close the deficit.
Zak turned in an amazing performance tossing a complete game only giving up three hits and one run. Chalking up 10 strikeouts on the afternoon, the senior now has 135 on the season and is four away from etching his name in program history as the single season strikeout leader.
Aguirre and Klemm led the Rams in the first game of the day with three hits each, while Goggin and Urquidi each recorded two. Kohler, DeLaGarza, Urquidi and Ruane all recorded multiple RBIs. Around the bases ASU had five players' record stolen bases (Urquidi, Klemm, Gonzales, Kohler, Aguirre)
The Rams return to action on Saturday, May 14 for game six of the LSC Tournament against West Texas A&M. Expected to make an appearance on the mound for the Rams will be Kenton Schroter. First pitch for game six is slated for 1 p.m. and, if necessary, game seven will begin at 4 p.m.
