Ram baseball goes two-for-two with Hilltoppers, keeps rank in LSC

Over the weekend, the Angelo State University Rams baseball team took on the St Edward's University Hilltoppers in four games from Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 21, winning two of the four. Their previous seven-game win streak came to an abrupt end with scores of 1-2, 3-2, 6-4 and 5-7.

Friday's game kicked off with a slow start as the Hilltoppers took a 0-2 lead in their third inning with two runs. The following couple of innings saw a standstill, with the Hilltoppers maintaining their 0-2 lead. The Rams' sixth inning saw senior center Tripp Clark score the Rams’ one run of the game, reaching the final 1-2 score as a loss for the Rams,ending their win streak.

Saturday's first game saw the first run not scored until the fifth inning by the Hilltoppers, taking a 0-1 lead. Shortly afterward, the Rams took the lead in their sixth inning with a run by Clark, followed by two runs by junior infielder Kamden Kelton and junior outfielder Weston Valasek in a single play. With the Rams leading 3-1, the Hilltoppers scored the last run of the game in their seventh inning, marking a 3-2 win for the Rams.

Saturday's second game began with the Hilltoppers taking an early 0-3 lead in their first inning, scoring three back-to-back runs. The Rams scored their first run in their second inning, with freshman infielder Ryder McDaniel stealing home plate. McDaniel would also score a second run in the Rams' fifth inning for a 2-3 score. Strengthening their lead, the Hilltoppers scored another run in their seventh inning for a 2-4 lead. The following inning saw the Rams steal home plate, this time by junior infielder Tayten Tredaway for a score of 3-4. Following a run by sophomore center/infielder Blake Wilhoite, a home run by Clark with junior outfielder Jacob Guerrero on base placed the Rams at a 6-4 lead, marking their second win of the weekend.

Sunday's game started with the Hilltoppers taking the lead in their second inning, scoring a run from third base. The Rams followed up, taking a short-lived lead with two back-to-back runs by Wilhoite and sophomore outfielder Hunter Holt for a 2-1 lead in their third inning. Retaking the lead almost immediately, the Hilltoppers locked in two more runs, now leading by a single point. The Hilltoppers' following inning saw them secure a stronger, 2-4 lead with a run from third base. Their following inning saw yet another two runs scored by the Hilltoppers for an effective 2-6 lead. The Rams followed up shortly with a home run by Guerrero, with redshirt junior Justin Harris on base for two more runs, reaching a score of 4-6. Following a run by Tredaway in the Rams' sixth inning, the Hilltoppers secured a seventh run in their seventh inning for the final score of 5-7, marking the Rams' second loss of the weekend.

With two wins against and two losses to the StEU Hilltoppers, the Rams are left with a 32-14 overall standing, holding their third-place ranking in the Lone Star Conference. Next up, the Rams will face the West Texas A&M Buffs in four matchups at home from Friday, April 26 to Sunday, April 28.