CANYON Texas – The #5 Buffaloes of West Texas A&M couldn't find a rhythm offensively on Thursday night as they dropped an opening round game of the 2021 NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championship to the #10 Angelo State Rams at Foster Field in San Angelo, Texas.
 
The Rams wasted little time getting on the board in the top of the first as Aaron Walters grounded out to second base to score Jackson Hardy followed by a Nick Seginowich sac fly to center that plated Josh Elvir at 2-0.
 
ASU added to their lead in the third as Elvir connected on a solo homerun over the bullpen in right field to leadoff the frame. Parker Bramlett drove in Nick Novak with a squeeze bunt in the fourth followed by a WT error with two outs to plate another run and make it 5-0.
 
The teams sat thru a lightning delay of almost an hour and a half before the Rams added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth with a Reese Johnson squeeze bunt to score Koby Kelton at 6-0.
 
The Buffs pushed across their first run in the seventh as Kennedy Badgett drew a bases loaded walk with one out to score Cade Engle followed by a Ryan Johnson RBI single to right. 
 
Angelo pushed across some insurance runs in the ninth as Jackson Hardy flied out to right to score Tyler Mendoza followed later in the frame by an Aaron Walters sac fly to right and a Jordan Williams two-run double to make it 10-2.
 
Todd Danzeisen picked up the loss (7-1) on the mound for the Buffs, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts in his six innings of work.
 
WT will now have some work to do as they fall into an elimination game on Friday afternoon (2:00 p.m.) against UC-Colorado Springs, the Mountain Lions fell to top-ranked Colorado Mesa in the regional opener on Thursday afternoon, 11-9.