STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton baseball got back in the win column by slugging its way to an 8-3 victory over No. 3 Angelo State on Saturday at the Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex.
 
Angelo State now leads the series 2-1, with the final game of the four-game set scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
The Rams jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single, but Tarleton followed with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Francisco Rodriguez ripped a double down the left field line, setting up runners at second and third for Luis Rivas, who singled up the middle to score Blake Adams and Rodriguez.
 
Colby Fowler started on the mound for the Texans and held the Rams scoreless over the next two innings. Fowler tossed 4.1 innings, giving up three runs and striking out three in the no decision.
 
Rodriguez was at it again in the third inning, lacing a one-out double to left center for his second hit of the game. Dylan Lemons followed with a single that scored Rodriguez for a 3-1 lead. It was the start of four straight innings the Texans would score.
 
With two outs in the fifth inning, Adams started the rally with a single to left that advanced Jose Reyes to second. Austin Call stroked another Texan double to left center that scored Adams and Reyes for a 5-2 lead. Call was one of three Texans with a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-5 with a run and two RBI.
 
An RBI single by Garrett Kizer increased Tarleton's lead to 6-2, but the Texans weren't done yet, as Rodriguez added his third hit of the game in the sixth on an RBI single but was thrown out at second trying to advance for his third double of the game. Rodriguez went 3-for-5 on the day with two runs scored and an RBI. Lemons followed with a line-drive home run to left field for the final runs of the game at 8-3. Lemons went 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs and two RBI.
 
Conner Fletcher came on in relief in the fifth inning and kept the Texans in the ballgame and maintained the lead. Fletcher threw 3.2 scoreless inning out of the pen, giving up two hits and striking out five to move to 4-0 on the season. Eddie Avila came on in the ninth to shut the door with a scoreless inning of work and striking out one with no hits allowed.
 
The Texans recorded 12 hits in the game, 2-3-4 hitters of Call, Rodriguez and Lemons combining for eight of the hits. Blake Adams, Jake Hasbrouck, Luis Rivas and Garrett Kizer each had a hit on the day.