San Angelo, Texas – No. 14 Angelo State used a six-run fifth inning to win 8-4 in game one and scattered 10 hits to edge A&M-Commerce 5-3 in game two Friday night at Mayer Field in Lone Star Conference action.
The Rambelles started the scoring off early in game one when Rachel Moore led off with a solo homer to center. After a fly ball out, Kenedy Urbany hit the Rambelles second home run of the inning to give ASU a 2-0 lead.
The Lions scrapped back into the contest with a run in the top of the third inning following a leadoff single by
Johnna Sturm.
Monica Cherry followed with a double to right center, but pinch runner,
Danielle Guerra held up at third after having to see the ball down in the outfield. After
Baylea Higgs reached on a fielder's choice,
Magen Lynch plated the Guerra with a sacrifice fly to right for the first out of the inning. The Lions had a chance to tie the game or take a lead after
Brenda Iparraguirre drew a pinch-hit walk, but A&M-Commerce left the bases loaded after an infield fly and a strikeout.
Two innings later, the Lions took 3-2 lead after a pair of RBI singles by
Tyler Oppenheim and
Kylene Hatton, however, the Rambelles exploded in the bottom half of the fifth inning with six runs on four hits and one Lion error. The highlight of the inning for ASU was Camry Weinheimer's three-run home run to center to put the Rambelles ahead 8-3.
The Lions scrapped an unearned run across in the top of the seventh, but Urbany, who started in the circle for ASU, squashed any chance of a late Lion rally to give the Rambelles the 8-4 win.
Urbany picked up the complete game win after allowing only five hits and the four Lion runs and picking up four strikeouts.
Cyanne Fernandez was saddle with the loss for the Lions after four and a third innings. Fernandez allowed six runs on four hits and four walks.
Sturm paced the Lions at the plate with two hits in three at bats. Cherry had the team's lone extra base hit.
A&M-Commerce started the scoring of in the top of the first inning when
Luci Ponce drove home Hatton with an RBI double to left center. Hatton reached on a two-out bunt single.
Angelo State got on the scoreboard in game two in the bottom of the second frame when Ambra Hill drove home two on a single to right center. A critical Lion error with two outs kept the inning alive for the Rambelles prior the Hill's single.
Sturm led off the top of the fourth with a walk, and Cherry was award first after getting hit by a pitch. After a pair of strikeouts, Oppenheim loaded the bases with a bloop single to left. Hatton picked up her 18th RBI of the season earning a full count bases loaded walk tying the game at two.
After the Lions left the bases loaded in the top of the frame, Angelo State's Ciare Sheppard led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer regaining the lead for the Rambelles, 3-2. ASU notched a crucial run in the bottom of the fifth when Weinheimer brought Brooke Mangold across the plate with a single to third. Mangold, who reached on a fielder's choice, scored from second on the infield single.
The Lions cut the deficit back down to a run, 4-3, in the sixth inning after Oppenheim drove home Higgs, who reached on an infield single, but the Rambelles manufactured a run after an infield single to give the game the its final, 5-3.
Oppenheim paced the Lions in game with a 2-for-4 performance and an RBI.
Courtney Moore turned in her sixth complete game of the season after turning in six innings of work. The Rambelles scattered 10 hits against Moore, but only three of the five runs were earned.
ASU's Brandy Marlett picked up the win after the complete game. She allowed seven hits and struck out a season-high 11 Lions.
With the two losses, the Lions fall to 23-21 on the season and 12-12 in the LSC, while Angelo State improved to 30-11-1 on the year and 12-9-1 in conference play.
The two teams will wrap up the four-game set Saturday at 1 p.m. with the Lions needing to win one of the two games of the twinbill to remain in the hunt for the conference tournament.
Fans can follow all the action from the 2014-15 season on www.LionAthletics.com, through twitter @Lion_Athletics and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LionsAthletics.
