SAN ANGELO, TX – The No. 1-ranked Angelo State baseball team held off St. Edward's 8-7 to win the NCAA Division II South Central Regional title on a humid Saturday afternoon at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium.
With the win, the Rams improved to 48-8 and advance to the Super Regional round for the fifth straight season.
St. Edward's took an early lead with a run in the bottom of the second inning, but ASU responded with a Jacob Guerrero home run in the third for a 1-1 tie.
The Rams kept the pressure on, scoring three more runs in the fourth. Blake Wilhoite drove in a run with an RBI single, and Justin Harris added a two-RBI double to give ASU a 4-1 lead.
The Hilltoppers mounted a comeback, cutting the lead to 4-2 with a pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh before tying the game at 4-4 in the eighth with a single and a groundout.
In the top of the ninth, the Rams loaded the bases with a single and two walks. With two outs, Lane Hutchinson singled to center, driving in two runs. Weston Valasek, who entered the game as a defensive substitution in the eighth, followed with a ground-rule double to left field, extending the lead to 8-4.
St. Edward's responded with a rally of its own, loading the bases with four consecutive singles and a hit by pitch to score three runs to get within 8-7 before Josh Reed forced a lineout to Harris to seal the win and eliminate the Hilltoppers.
Starting pitcher Ryan Free delivered a strong performance, going six innings and allowing just one run on a hit and three walks, while striking out four.
ASU now turns its attention to the South Central Super Regional, where the Rams will face UT Tyler beginning on Thursday, May 22, at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium.
Ticket and schedule information will be released on Monday, May 19.
Subscribe to the LIVE! Daily
Required
Post a comment to this article here: