After the .500 result of their four game series with the Angelo State Rams, the Tarleton State University Texan baseball team’s record in 2015 currently stands at 16-17 (10-13 in LSC). The previous installment of this Lone Star Conference rivalry in March ended with the Texans losing the weekend long contest 1-2 (fourth game cancelled), which prompted unanimous anticipation prior to round two that began Friday in San Angelo.

Matt Herrick (2-4) started on the mound in Friday’s game one match-up and allowed four hits and five runs during his six innings.

The Rams wasted little time, as they accounted for three early scoring runs during the first inning. Unable to capture the same momentum, Tarleton did not manage to reciprocate Angelo’s early success.

The Texan defense managed to hold the Rams to three runs until the bottom of the fifth; however, Angelo State would add a fourth and fifth run in the same entering, which extended the Texan deficit to 5-0 entering the sixth inning.

During Angelo State’s final at-bat, their sixth and final run across home plate was accounted for, which ultimately posted as the final 6-0 game one loss for the Texans.

For Saturday’s game two, Kyle Gottardy’s (2-5) five innings of pitching duties afforded five hits to only a single run during his five innings.

In contrast to what unfolded in game one, the Texans entered the second inning with a 1-0 advantage over the rams courtesy of a Jonathan Schmitz trip across home plate.

In the second inning, scores from Landon Merka and David Weeks extended Tarleton’s lead to 3-0 entering the third, in which neither team managed to score.

Angelo State did manage to avoid a shut out in game two, as they scored their only run of the contest in the bottom of inning number three, only to lose by a final of 3-0.

Game three initiated concurrently after Tarleton knotted the series 1-1, in which Trevor Renfro (4-2) assumed the job of starting pitcher. Renfro allowed a mere 2 hits and one run during seven innings before heading to the dugout.

Due to stellar pitching from both respective teams, the game’s first scoring run would not come until the top of the third when Weeks accounted for the game’s first score. The run scored by Weeks was allotted by Evan Robinson’s RBI to center field.

The Rams in pursuit of a tie managed to achieve just that in the bottom of the seventh, as the scoreboard read 1-1 entering the 8th inning of game three.

Weeks answered the call for the Texans on his second scoring run, which again came by virtue of the RBI provided by Robinson.

It would be Weeks’ two runs in game three that would seal the Rams’ fate, as they entered the fourth and final game of the series.

Colton Burleson (3-2) served on the mound for a brief two-inning stretch prior to him being relieved by Troyal Yosko in the third inning.

By way of RBI, Schmitz scored the game’s first run to give Tarleton an early 1-0 lead that lasted until the bottom of the third as the Rams managed to account for four total runs and a 4-1 lead over Tarleton entering the fourth.

Tarleton quickly responded in the form of Matthew Olive providing Weeks with the assist needed to post the Texans’ second run of the contest.

The bottom of the fourth proved to be another abysmal outing for Tarleton’s defensive personnel. Angelo State stacked three additional runs (7-2, ASU), followed by the unfortunate offensive Texan series that produced zero runs in a pivotal inning.

To the dismay of the “good guys” the Rams ran made two trips across home plate in the bottom of the fifth (9-2, ASU).

Despite two added runs from Elijah Christenson and Olive in the bottom of the eighth, the Rams had already posted eleven runs on the afternoon. The decisive 11-4 advantage after Tarleton’s final two scores further became the final 11-4 loss for the Texans on Sunday and a 2-2 draw for the series.

The fourth place Texans are set to take the road for a consecutive weekend as they face dead-last LSC contender Cameron University from Lawton, Oklahoma in a three game series starting Friday at 3 p.m.