Box Score Box Score
SAN ANGELO, Texas – This weekend's three-game, non-conference series against No. 14 Angelo State and No. 11 Southern Arkansas had been billed as one of the most anticipated early-season matchups in Division II; and thanks to dominant starting pitching for both teams, the hype behind the matchup met expectations in game one on Friday afternoon.
The Muleriders (4-1) would come out on the losing end of game one in the top-tier matchup as their offense was held in check by the Rams' (5-0) starting pitcher Mike Weatherly (2-0). Weatherly began the game in dominant form as he allowed one base runner through the first six innings. In that time, Weatherly held the Muleriders hitless, while striking out eight.
Opposing Weatherly on the mound for the Muleriders was ace,
James Baune (1-1). The senior right-hander would give up a pair of runs in the first inning on a two-run homerun by Lee Neumann. In his next at-bat against Baune in the third inning, Neumann singled in two more runs to give the Rams and Weatherly a 4-0 lead through the first three innings.
After the early troubles, Baune would settle down and threw zeros in the run column over the next five innings to help keep the Muleriders within striking distance. In that time, Baune limited the Rams to just one hit, while striking out four.
Offensively, the Muleriders would get things going in the top of the eighth inning. First baseman
Philip Menou would lead off that inning with a double to right field. Catcher
Ryan Dardenne followed with a single to right field to advance Menou to third with no outs. In the next at-bat, the Muleriders would get on the board as Menou scored on a double play that was hit into by
Ryan Bell.
A strikeout in the ensuing at-bat would end the Mulerider eighth inning, but SAU would threaten once more in the top of the ninth inning as the tying run came to the plate with one out. The Muleriders were able to send the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning after receiving consecutive one-out singles from
Jason Dahl and
Tyler Cameron.
Bryant Rutledge, who started the top of the ninth inning in relief of Weatherly, would earn the save as he escaped the ninth inning without surrendering a run by retiring the next two batters following the Dahl and Cameron consecutive hits.
These same two teams will be back at it for a doubleheader on Saturday, February 9th to conclude the three-game series. First-pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
