Box Score

Season Stats

SAN ANGELO, Texas – The West Texas A&M baseball team battled back to earn a hard-fought split at No. 5 Angelo State with a 5-2 victory Sunday.  With the win, WT improved to 14-10 on the year and evened its Lone Star Conference record at 6-6. Angelo State fell to 18-4 overall and 8-3 in league play.
 
The WT offense continued to come along as it scored five runs on eight hits Sunday as junior Scott Cooper went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and senior Max Brennen went 1 for 4 with a run scored and two RBI.  On the mound, junior Brooks Trujillo had another strong outing going seven innings allowing four hits, two earned runs, with one walk and four strikeouts earning the win (2-2).  Senior Paul Lujan picked up his fourth save of the year.
 
For the series, the Buffs hit .240, but held the high-powered Rams to just .220 from the plate.  WT had 30 hits with six doubles and drove in seven, while scoring 11 runs.  Junior Matt Cole led the way going 5 for 11 with a run scored and one double.
 
The Buffs return home to host Tarleton State in a Lone Star Conference series beginning Friday at 7 p.m. at Wilder Park.  Tarleton State is 9-8 on the year and 3-4 in league play after splitting a four-game series at home this weekend with Cameron.  WT currently sits in third place in the league standings with Tarleton State in fourth.  Texas A&M-Kingsville took over the top spot in the standings with a sweep of Eastern New Mexico with a 9-2 league record and a 15-7 mark overall.
 
In Sunday's contest, WT struck first in the third inning as Cooper, who was playing in his fifth game of the season and third start, doubled down the left field line.  Following two outs, junior Jace Reese singled through the left side on a 3-1 count for a 1-0 lead chasing ASU starting pitcher Kellen Rholl from the game.  Rholl went just 2.2 innings, allowing three hits, one earned run and fanned one in a no decision.  Trujillo retired the first nine Rams he faced in order.
 
The Rams tallied a walk to begin the bottom of the fourth to for their first baserunner.  An infield single followed as ASU loaded the bases, but Trujillo got out of the jam with a fly out to center to leave three Rams stranded. 
 
ASU took the lead in the sixth as Paxton DeLaGarza hit in infield single loading the bases once again.  Cameron Massengill, who has been a Buff killer this weekend, hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game.  Derek Tyner doubled home the go ahead run. 
 
The Buffs didn't sweat as WT began the seventh with an infield single by Josh Day and a sacrifice bunt moved Day to third following a balk.  Brennen singled up the middle on the first pitch to tie the game.  Following a pitching change, WT loaded the bases and Brennen scored on a wild pitch for a 3-2 lead.  Junior Trace Hansen was originally called out on an infield hit, but the call was overturned as Cooper scored for a 4-2 lead as the first baseman for ASU came off the bag on the throw by the shortstop. 
 
In the eighth, WT added its fifth run on a fielder's choice helped out by a pair of wild pitches by the Rams for a 5-2 lead.
 
Angelo State put two on in the eighth, but senior Sean Michel closed the door in relief of Trujillo getting the next three batters out to preserve the lead.  Lujan pitched a perfect ninth for the win and the series split.