Angelo State crushes MSU Denver 26-5 in South Central baseball opener
The Angelo State University baseball team keeps making it look easy against some of the best teams in the country.
The Rams scored at least five runs in four different innings Thursday night, on their way to a 26-5 laugher against Metropolitan State University of Denver in an NCAA Division II South Central Regional opener at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium.
ASU improved to 46-10 and stretched its winning streak to 19 games.
The Rams will face Lone Star Conference rival Texas A&M-Kingsville at 2:30 p.m. Friday in Game 4 of the regional. They're scheduled to face off again at 6:30 p.m.
If the Rams and Javelinas split the two games on Friday, they'll play again at 2:30 p.m. Saturday to determine which team will advance to the Super Regional next weekend.
A Friday sweep by either team would end the season for the loser.
MSU was eliminated by ASU, as the Roadrunners finished 35-22. They were coming off an 18-15 heartbreaker against Kingsville in their tourney opener earlier Friday in the double-elimination tourney.
ASU put up five runs in the first and second for a 10-2 lead.
The Rams added a run in the third and three in the fourth, making it 14-2.
ASU punched in seven runs in the sixth and five in the seventh.
MSU scored one run each in the first, second, fifth, sixth and seventh.
Third baseman Kamden Kelton went 2-for-4 with a team-high five RBIs and two runs scored for the Rams.
Second baseman Austin Beck, the LSC Tournament MVP last weekend, went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and four runs scored.
First baseman Aaron Walters also had a perfect showing at the plate, going 4-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs.
Designated hitter/pitcher Reese Johnson was 2-for-2 with three RBIs and one run.
Right fielder Koby Kelton (3-for-6, 3 runs), DH Jordan Williams (2-for-3, 3 runs), pinch hitter/centerfielder Jackson Hardy (1-for-2) and catcher Tripp Clark (1-for-3, 2 runs) drove in two runs each.
ASU finished with 24 hits, three times as many as MSU Denver had.
The Rams got another solid performance on the hill by Benjamin Elder, who improved to 9-2 after giving up five hits and four earned runs in six complete. He struck out seven and walked one.
After reliever Jackson Haga worked the seventh for the Rams, allowing a hit and an earned run, ASU let position players Johnson and Hardy throw an inning apiece with the Rams enjoying a huge lead.
Charles Bryce is a journalist covering sports in West Texas. Send him a news tip at cbryce@gannett.com. Consider supporting West Texas journalism with a subscription to GoSanAngelo.com.
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Angelo State crushes MSU Denver 26-5 in South Central baseball opener
