- Box Score
STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton baseball team began its series with No. 8 Angelo State Friday at the Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex and fell in a rollercoaster 14-13 contest that saw 27 runs and 30 hits.
The Rams opened the game with a lead-off single, but a nice 4-6-3 double play and a strikeout by Tarleton starter Kenneth Stockton ended ASU's hopes in the first.
The Texan offense also jumped out with a pair of hits in the bottom half of the inning, but were left stranded as the Ram defense backed up the ASU starter Rick Reyna.
In the top of the second, the Rams were able to take advantage of a couple of early base runners and took a 2-0 lead.
Tarleton quickly responded with a solo blast by freshman Landon Thompson over the centerfield wall, making it a 2-1 contest.
ASU added another pair of runs in the third to extend their lead to 4-1 in the game.
Just like the second inning though, Tarleton would have their answer in the next half inning. In the bottom of the third, the Texans exploded for four runs and had six straight batters reach base safely. Jonathan Schmitz started the scoring with a two-run double to left, followed by an RBI single by Thompson and an RBI by Andy Wolfe, who reach on the second error of the inning. By the end of the third, it was a 5-4 ball game in favor of Tarleton.
The Texans' lead did not last long though as a sacrifice fly by the Rams in the fourth tied the game back up at 5-5.
Tarleton's offense kept things rolling in the bottom of the fourth when a hit by Noah Ringenberger and a couple of walks loaded the bases for Wolfe. Despite two outs already in the inning, the senior centerfielder had possibly his biggest hit of the season with a double off the right field wall that just nearly cleared the fence and drove in three Tarleton runs. The Texans now had a three-run advantage heading into the fifth.
A scoreless fifth took place before ASU cut the deficit to two runs on an RBI single up the middle in the sixth.
Schmitz countered for Tarleton with a solo home run to left in the bottom of the sixth, pushing the score to 9-6 in favor of the Texans. Robinson added to the inning with an RBI single to left on a beautifully executed hit and run, making it a 10-6 contest.
The inning was not done yet though and Tarleton piled two more runs onto their lead on Ringenberger's two-run double to right. Silguero drove in the fifth run of the sixth on a sacrifice fly to right. After all was said and done in the inning, the Texans had a 13-6 lead.
ASU cut the margin to 13-10 with a four-run seventh as Tarleton's lead began to dwindle. Just as the Texans had their big inning in the sixth, the Rams had their own in the seventh. To make matters worse, ASU managed to tie the game up at 13-13 with a three-run home run to left off reliever Austin Coble.
Neither team was able to break the tie until the ninth inning when ASU scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball.
Tarleton went into the bottom of the ninth looking to mount a last-minute comeback attempt, but a 1-2-3 inning doomed the Texans. After nine tumultuous innings, Tarleton fell to ASU 14-13.
Britt Robertshaw (1-3) picked up the loss despite not allowing an earned run after the passed ball score happened on his watch.
Mike Weatherly (5-0) got the win after three no-hit innings to end the game for the Rams.
For Tarleton, Wolfe finished the game with four RBI's on a 3-for-6 day, while Jonathan Schmitz went 2-for-4 with three RBI's and three runs scored. As a team, the Texans recorded 16 hits on the game, but left 12 runners stranded.
The Texans and Rams will battle it out again Saturday as they begin a doubleheader at 1 p.m. in Stephenville.
For more information regarding the 2012 Tarleton baseball season, check out TarletonSports.com.
