SAN ANGELO, Texas – The top-seeded Angelo State baseball team opened the Lone Star Conference Tournament with a victory over eighth-seeded St. Mary's, winning 15-5 on Friday at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium.
ASU improves to 41-10 overall on the season as they take a one game lead in the best of three series against the Rattlers.
The Rams scored early, putting up three runs in the bottom of the first inning. After Austin Beck led the inning off with a single, Aaron Walters doubled to score the first run before coming around on a wild pitch. Koby Kelton singled for the third run as Jordan Williams came home on the play.
ASU added another run in the second as Justin Lee reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Tripp Clark from third to give the Rams a 4-0 lead.
The Ratters found their first run of the game in the third inning, hitting a solo home run to right field.
In the bottom of the third, the Rams answered back with three more runs as Justin Harris got things going with a single up the middle to score Kelton. Clark doubled to left field for an RBI before Walters forced a bases-loaded walk to give the Rams a 7-1 lead.
ASU extended the lead in the fifth as Jackson Hardy grounded out on a sac bunt to score Clark followed by back-to-back hits by Walters and Lee for two more runs.
Benjamin Elder started on the mound for the Rams, tossing six innings with only five hits and one run while striking out seven batters.
In the sixth, Kamden Kelton came in to pinch hit, picking up a single before Koby Kelton doubled to bring him home while Clark hit a sac-fly as the Rams went up 12-1.
StMU added a run in the seventh, leading off with a single before a wild pitch and another hit brought in the second run of the game for the Rattlers.
Ryan Neitsch hit a ground-rule double in the seventh after coming in to pinch hit, scoring Hardy from second while a wild pitch and an error brought in two more runs to make it 15-2 in favor of ASU.
The Rattlers added a few runs in the top of the ninth inning but couldn't overcome the deficit.
The Rams and Rattlers will face each other again tomorrow with game two set for 4 p.m. If the Rams win, they will advance to the next round of the tournament while a victory by StMU will force game three on Sunday.
