Box Score

Season Stats

CANYON, Texas  –The No. 18/22 West Texas A&M baseball team took the opening game of a four game series versus Angelo State 2-1 Friday evening at Wilder Park.  With the win, WT improved to 18-5 and a league-leading 7-2 in Lone Star Conference play, while Angelo State fell to 13-9 and 6-3 in league play.
 
The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday at 4 p.m. at Wilder Park.  Live stats and streaming links can be found at www.gobuffsgo.com on the baseball schedule page.
 
In a tightly contested battle between the top two teams in the Lone Star Conference in terms of league records, it was going to be a tight game.  On a cold and windy night in Canyon, WT scored two runs on six hits with one error, while ASU had one run on five hits.  The Buffs were led by junior John Baiada who went 2 for 3 with a run scored and a RBI, while senior Aaron De La Paz came up with the eventual game winning RBI single with two away in the bottom of the seventh.  He went 1 for 3 with a RBI.
 
Senior Justin McAllister (2-1) went eight innings, allowing four hits, one unearned run, walked one and fanned five on 83 pitches.  Senior Kyle Tinius earned his fifth save of the year.  ASU starter, Matt Shannon (2-3), went eight innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits, walked one and fanned two in 87 pitches.  Paxton De La Garza went 2 for 4 with a RBI to lead the team. 
 
Reigning LSC Player of the Week, Steven Pinales, hit a one out infield single in the top of the second as both teams went down in order in the first.  A great throw from left field by senior Nick Chapman doubled up Pinales on a hit and run for a double play to end the inning.
 
A drag bunt with one out in the bottom of the third by senior Jake Fuller ended a streak of seven-straight retired by Angelo State starting pitcher Matt Shannon.   Fuller then was gunned down at second trying to steal and a ground out ended the threat. 
 
A one out single from Sam Kohler brought LSC Pitcher of the Week, De La Garza, to the plate as he both pitches and hits.  He's scheduled to pitch in game two of Saturday's doubleheader.   McAllister got his third strikeout of the game for the second out of the inning.  A fielder's choice ended the inning as the Rams left the first runner of the game stranded.
 
Senior Matt Cole hit a one out single to center for the first the Buffs hit out of the infield in the bottom of the fourth.  A wild pitch moved Cole to second and into scoring position and another wild pitch followed moving Cole to third.  A ground out to De La Garza garnered the Rams the second out, but Baiada plated Cole on a perfectly placed bunt single between third base and the mound for a 1-0 lead. 
 
An error on a bang-bang play at first and a sacrifice bunt put Angelo State in scoring position with one out in the top of the sixth.  A single by Kohler to second put runners at the corners with two away.  De La Garza singled through the right side tying the game at one.  A ground out to short ended the inning as the game remained tied 1-1. 
 
A full count with one on and one out for redshirt freshman Christian Loya in the bottom of the seventh as Loya drew the first walk of the game by the Rams.  It was the first time in the game that the Buffs had two base runners in the same inning.  A sacrifice bunt from senior Josh Day put runners at second and third with two out.  Senior Aaron De La Paz, on a 1-2 count, hit a single deep in the infield between first and second as WT regained the lead 2-1 with the RBI base knock.  A ground out to short ended the frame.
 
The Buffs headed to the top of the ninth leading 2-1 as Tinius came in for the save.  Tinius got a ground out to second for the first out as the Buffs retired eight in a row.  De La Garza singled to left for his second hit of the game putting the tying run at first.  Following a fly out to left, ASU's leading hitter, Pinales, came to the plate as Tinius pitched a ball and De La Garza was gunned down at second for the third out to end the game.