- Box Score - Game 1
- Box Score - Game 2
STEPHENVILLE – The Texans took on the Rams of Angelo State twice Saturday in Lone Star Conference action and were victorious in both games as rallies played a big role late in the contests.
Tarleton scored 10 runs in a single inning to take game one before Ryan Small's walk-off home run in the second game gave the Texans an 8-6 win over the No. 8 team in the nation.
Game 1 – Tarleton 10, ASU 6
The Texans took game one of the doubleheader with a late rally, 10-6.
After trailing 5-0 heading into sixth inning, Tarleton mounted a 10-run comeback with nine of those runs coming after two outs.
ASU got off to a fast start when they put up two runs in the top of the second inning. They added another in both the third and the fourth to make it a 4-0 ball game.
The Rams kept things going in the fifth with a triple by Lee Neumann that was misplayed and allowed him to score on the error.
The Texans did manage some hits in the game, but were unable to capitalize on the base runners early on.
In the bottom of the sixth, Tarleton threatened after loading the bases with nobody out. Andy Wolfe grounded into a fielder's choice, which plated Garrett Hardey from third. That cut the deficit to 5-1.
Evan Robinson kept things going with an RBI infield single, followed by Ryan Small's two-run double down the left field line that put Tarleton in a close 5-4 contest with ASU.
Down one with two outs, the Texans needed Noah Ringenberger to step up and make a huge play and he did just that. The junior rightfielder took a 1-1 pitch over the right field wall for a two-run blast, giving Tarleton their first lead of the game, 6-5.
Next, Jonathan Schmitz extended the inning and the Texans' lead with an RBI single to right, making it 7-5.
After being stagnant through most of the game, Tarleton continued to keep things rolling offensively and they got their next three runs from Landon Thompson's three-run shot to left. Entering the inning down 5-0, the Texans now led 10-5. It marked Thompson's second home run of the series as well.
In the end, the Rams would be unable to recover from such a big let down and fell to the Texans, 10-6.
Pete Perez (6-2) started and recorded the win despite getting touched up for six runs on 12 hits in the contest.
Mike Weatherly (5-1) gave up Ringenberger's home run in the big sixth inning and suffered his first loss of the season in relief.
Thompson finished the game 4-for-4 with three RBI's for Tarleton, while Schmitz went 3-for-4. Ringenberger and Small both had two hits and two RBI's in the game as well.
Baseball vs. ASU - 4-14-12 Gallery
Game 2 – Tarleton 8, ASU 6
In the second game of the day and the third game of the series,
Landon Thompson put Tarleton on the board in the bottom of the first with a two-run double to right center, continuing the Texans' offensive assault.
ASU cut away at the deficit in the top of the second with a sacrifice fly, making it a 2-1 ball game. They followed that up with a two-run home run and a solo shot to take a 4-2 lead over the Texans.
In the bottom of the third, Blake Silguero tied the contest back up at 4-4 with a two-run blast of his own over the left field wall. Chris Patton gave Tarleton a 5-4 lead later in the inning on an RBI double to right.
In the fourth, Ryan Small made it a two-run game with an RBI double to left-center as the Texan offense continued to roll right along.
The Rams were not going away though and managed to tie the game at 6-6 with a two-run double in the fifth.
The score remained that way until the final inning of the contest. ASU threatened to take a lead with a runner on first, but a popped-up bunt was caught by a diving Britt Robertshaw, who turned and doubled up the runner at first to end the threat.
Tarleton put the winning run on third base with two outs in the bottom of the seventh before Ryan Small stepped up to the plate in the hero role. The 5-9 junior got ahead in the count 2-0 before connecting with a high fastball that he placed over the left field fence. With his sixth home run of the season, Small got the walk-off hit Tarleton was looking for in an 8-6 victory.
Britt Robertshaw (2-2) was awarded the win after tossing two perfect innings in relief.
Austin Church (2-2) got the loss after giving up the big hit in the seventh.
Small finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBI's, while Silguero and Thompson had two RBI's to go with them.
Tarleton (17-17, 9-10) and Angelo State (28-13, 12-7) will finish the series on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. at the Cecil Ballow baseball complex.
For more information regarding the 2012 Texan baseball season, check out TarletonSports.com.
