GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.  – In a rematch of the 2016 Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship, the No. 4-seeded and 23^rd-ranked West Texas A&M Buffs were stymied by No. 3-seed and 30^th-ranked Angelo State 4-1 in the first round of the 2016 NCAA South Central Regional Thursday evening at Suplizio Field on the campus of Colorado Mesa University.  With the loss, the Buffs fell to 36-19 and ASU improved to 36-20. 

Down to their final three outs, the Buffs had the top of the order due in the inning.  Senior Trace Hansen beat out an infield single to second for the fourth hit of the game.  Senior Mason Shiflett popped out for the first out.  Senior Josh Day singled to right for his third single of the game putting two on with one out.  A wild pitch moved the runners up to second and third.  Bryce Zak's pitch plunked junior Hunter Henderson loading the bases.  Redshirt freshman Blake Weaver pinch-ran for Henderson at first and, following two balls on senior Nick Chapman, ASU head coach Kevin Brooks made a call to the bullpen as closer Graylon Brown came in for Zak.  On a 2-2 count, Brown fanned Chapman looking for the second out.  A wild pitch plated the first run of the game for WT and a 3-0 count for junior John Baiada with runners at second and third.  Baiada flied out to right to end the game.

WT falls into an elimination game for the Buffs Friday at 4:30 p.m. (CT) against No. 6-seed Lubbock Christian, who upset top-seeded Colorado Mesa 8-6 in the first game Thursday.  ASU will face No. 2-seed St. Edward's at 8 p.m. (CT) Friday in a matchup of two of the three winners from the first day of the tournament.

For the game, WT had one run on five hits, while ASU had four runs on nine hits.  Senior Josh Day led the way for WT going 3 for 4 with three singles.   The Rams were led by Jay Gonzales who went 4 for 4 with two RBI and two doubles.  Steven Pinales went 2 for 3 with a run scored.

WT fell to 3-5 in the NCAA Tournament in its third-straight appearance, which is the most of any current LSC team and the most since Abilene Christian went three times from 2008 to 2010.  WT won the LSC co-regular season title in 2015 and the LSC Tournament Championship last weekend with a 4-2 win over Angelo State in San Angelo, Texas. 

The Buffs had a chance to score in the top of the first as senior Matt Cole drew a one out walk and then advanced to third on a single from senior Josh Day, but Day was caught going back to first for the second out.  LSC Pitcher of the Year, Bryce Zak, got out of the inning with Cole stranded at third with a strikeout.

In the bottom of the second, Day redeemed himself with a great diving catch in center and then doubled up Gonzales at first for the second out.  With two away, Pinales made the Buffs pay with a triple to right and then Michael Urquidi singled him home for a 1-0 lead.  WT senior starter Brooks Trujillo got a ground out for the final out.

Two out base runners proved to be costly once again as LSC Player of the Year Paxton DeLaGarza drew a walk and then Gonzales hit a RBI double to right for a 2-0 ASU lead in the bottom of the third.  It was the second two out run the Buffs had given up in the game.

Zak retired the Buffs in order in the top of the fourth for 10-straight.  Zak also broke the LSC strikeout record in a career with three in the game through four innings, surpassing the previous conference record of 258 set by Mike Morgan of Abilene Christian (1991-93). 

In the top of the fifth, Zak fanned his fourth and third-straight for his school-record 139^th strikeout of the season breaking the previous mark of 138 set by Steve Naemark last season.  Zak retired the Buffs in order in the fifth for 13-straight.  Zak finished the game going 8.1 innings, allowing five hits, one earned run, walked two and fanned eight as he improved to 8-2 on the year.

A leadoff walk to Elias Aguirre in the bottom of the fifth and a hit to second from Sam Kohler as Aguirre ran into WT senior Trace Hansen and ruled out on the interference call with Kohler getting to first on the fielder's choice.  DeLaGarza then hit a RBI double to the right field gap for a 3-0 lead.  Gonzales hit a single to left, for his third of the game, as DeLaGarza got caught rounding third and was chased down by senior Matt Cole for the second out.  A pop out to third ended the inning. 

Hansen broke up a string of 15-straight retired by Zak in the top of the sixth with a walk, but a ground out ended the threat.  Day then ended the one-hitter by Zak with a single through the left side in the top of the seventh.  Following that, a strikeout and a routine double play ended the potential rally.

A hit batsman and a sacrifice bunt put ASU in position in the bottom of the seventh.  A ground out by Kohler moved Goggin to third for the second out as DeLaGarza came to bat.  He walked on four pitches.  Gonzales once again made the Buffs pay with a two out double to right for a RBI.  He was gunned down at third, however, trying to stretch a triple, but the umpire said DeLaGarza apparently scored after the third out was made so his run didn't count as ASU led 4-0.

Junior Thomas Garland relieved Trujillo in the eighth as he, a Parker, Colo., native went seven innings, allowing four earned runs on nine hits, while walking four and striking out two and fell to 7-6 on the year.