Angelo State Sweeps Greyhounds, 14-3 and 9-6, to Split Four-Game LSC South Series
Kuchta Goes 4 for 5 for ENMU in Opener; ASU Wins Second Game with Grand Slam in Seventh Inning

Box Score - Game 3 -ASU 14, ENMU 3
Box Score - Game 4 - ASU 9, ENMU 6

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS — Angelo State University, which lost two games to Eastern New Mexico University on Friday, Apr. 8, rallied with two wins in a double-header against the Greyhounds on Saturday, Apr. 9, to split the four-game Lone Star Conference South Division series. ASU won 14-3 and 9-6, as the Rams improved to 20-19 overall, 5-3 in the LSC South. ENMU fell to 19-20 on the season, including 4-4 in the LSC South.

ASU pounded out 16 hits in the opener, including a home run by Kyle Mandelbaum, who went 2 for 4 with three runs and two RBIs. Justin Gee (Jr., RF, Clovis, NM/Clovis HS) hit his third homer of the season to start the ninth inning for ENMU. Angelo State took an early lead with three runs in the first inning and increased the lead to 8-1after scoring four times in the fifth inning. The Rams added six runs in the seventh stanza.

Josh Kuchta (Sr., SS, Clovis, NM/Clovis HS) earned four hits in five at bats for ENMU in the first game, while Gee went 2 for 4. Both players scored once and recorded one RBI. ASU was led by Mandelbaum and by Brad Hough, who was 3 for 4 with four RBIs and three runs.

Travis Dooms, 4-1, pitched all nine inning to record the win for ASU. He allowed 10 hits (9 singles) and struck out three batters. MIcah Bernhardt (Jr., P/F, Gypsum, CO/Arapahoe CC), who started at pitcher for ENMU, fell to 0-1 with the loss.

In the second game, Angelo State held a 4-0 lead after three innings, but the Greyhounds moved in front, 6-5 with five runs in the sixth. Bernhardt drove in two runs with a single and Bryan Moore (Sr., 2B, Wolfforth, TX/Howard College) brought home two runs with a triple.

The Rams plated the final four runs with two outs in the seventh inning on a pinch-hit grand slam home run by Joey Kolar. ENMU thought Kolar struck out on the previous pitch, which was ruled a ball by the home plate umpire. The home run featured even more controversy when it appeared the ball may have left the field in foul territory. In any event, Kolar and three other Rams scored to win the game.

Ronnie Gaines was the winning pitcher for ASU. He improved to 3-2 on the season. Despite limiting Eastern to five hits, he struggled with control and had to survive six walks, one hit batsman, a wild pitch and a balk. Senior right-handed pitcher Trevor Davis (Evergreen, CO/Evergreen HS) threw the final two-thirds of an inning in relief for ENMU. He fell to 7-4 with the loss.

ENMU will return to action on Tuesday, Apr. 12 with a nine-inning game at Wayland Baptist University. Game time in Plainview, Texas, is set for 6 p.m. (MDT).