Box Score (Game 1)Box Score (Game 2)Season StatsSAN ANGELO, Texas – The West Texas A&M baseball team split a doubleheader at No. 5 Angelo State Saturday with the Buffs winning the opener 6-5 in eight innings and dropping the nightcap 2-0. WT improved to 13-10 on the year and 5-6 in Lone Star Conference play, while ASU is 18-3 and 8-2 in league play.
For the twin bill, WT junior
Matt Cole led the way going 3 for 6 with a run scored and a double. Junior
Trace Hansen hit .429 collecting three hits. The Buffs hit .279 with 17 hits and five doubles, while driving in four and scoring six runs. The Buffs held ASU to a .231 average allowing 12 hits and one double with six RBI and seven runs scored. The Buff staff held a 3.21 ERA, allowing seven runs – five earned with just two walks and 12 strikeouts.
In the opener, the Buffs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third as senior
Jacob Caples belted a RBI double to left and senior
Dylan Dyson also hit a RBI double highlighting the frame.
The Rams came back in the bottom of the fourth tying the game helped out by two WT miscues. Brett David highlighted the inning with a two RBI single and Cameron Masssengill (who had the game winning hit Friday night in the Rams' 1-0 win) singled home the first run of the inning for Angelo State.
The game remained 3-3 through seven innings as both teams had a runner on in the seventh, but could not bring them home.
In the eighth, WT plated three runs helped out by two ASU miscues. Junior
Josh Day hit a one out double and scored on an error. Later, senior
Ryan March reached on an error plating two more runs for the 6-3 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Massengill came up with a lead off singe and two more errors by the Buffs almost cost them the game. ASU scored two runs in the inning, but left the equalizing run stranded at third with a ground out to second.
WT senior closer
Paul Lujan (2-0) earns the win, while ASU closer Graylon Brown (2-1) took the loss. WT junior
Justin McAllister pitched four innings of four hit baseball, allowing three earned runs, one walk and he fanned five. Lujan went 1.2 innings, allowing one hit, two runs – one earned, one walk and one strikeout.
The win gave WT a 5-6 record in one run games this season and 2-2 in extra-inning games this season. The Buffs' offense came to play as they tallied 12 hits in the game and held ASU to eight hits.
ASU tallied a 2-0 win in the nightcap as WT led six on base in the second game and eight in the opener. Cole and Hansen each had two hits in the second game. Two WT miscues led to one unearned run for the Rams. WT senior
Justin Disbro went the distance, allowing four hits, two runs – one earned, with no walks and he fanned four falling to 2-2 on the year. Bryce Zak (4-2) pitched 5.2 innings, allowing four hits of shutout baseball. Dillon Becker earned his fifth save of the season pitching the final 1.1 innings, allowing one hit and fanning four while walking one.
Cole doubled through the left side to begin the fourth, but was unable to be brought home for the first scoring opportunity for the Buffs. ASU scored its first run as Paxton DeLaGarza doubled to begin the bottom of the fourth and scored on a Derek Tyner ground out.
In the fifth, the error (sixth of the doubleheader for the Buffs) proved costly as the insurance run came in on an error for a 2-0 score.
The Buffs, however, had chances in the sixth and seventh innings as Cole hit a single putting two on with one out. Zak got the second out and was relieved by Becker who got his first strikeout to end the threat. In the seventh, WT once again put runners at first and second with one out. Two strikeouts by Becker ended the game.
The series will conclude with a single game Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.
