SAN ANGELO, Texas – Brett Smajstrla and Chase Pendley provided three hits each in a back-and-forth contest that resulted in the No. 1 Angelo State baseball team downing No. 19 St. Edward's by a final score of 12-7 on Monday afternoon at Foster Field at 1^st Community Credit Union Stadium.

With the win, the Rams win the series as they improve to a 31-7 (29-7) record to remain atop of the Lone Star Conference standings while the Hilltoppers fall to 28-14 (27-13).

In the top of the first inning, a leadoff walk and a hit-by-pitch put two runners aboard for a RBI groundout and a double to right field to give St. Edward's the first lead of the game.

Ethan Flodstrom was walked to lead off the bottom of the first. After a flyout, Chase Pendley tripled to right center field to score the runner. After Weston Valasek was hit by a pitch for the first time in the ballgame, Lane Hutchinson laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored Pendley to tie the game. In the following at-bat, Tayten Tredaway singled up the middle to score Valasek. The Rams added another run in the bottom of the second when Flodstrom singled up the middle to score Blake Wilhoite, who walked to lead off the inning.

Both teams traded runs two runs apiece in the third inning as a single and a triple led to a sacrifice fly for the Hilltoppers to tie the game before the Rams responded with a Wilhoite two-RBI triple to retake the lead.

Ryan Free took the mound to start the series finale. The senior from Frisco, Texas delivered 3.2 innings of work and allowed four earned runs off three hits and three walks but collected two strikeouts.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Blue and Gold loaded the bases for Tredaway and Brett Smajstrla to clear them with their respective singles to extend the lead to five runs.

St. Edward's battled back in the top of the sixth inning when three straight singles and a fielder's choice scored two runs off Scott Ellis before Keene Kreusler collected a strikeout to limit the damage.

The Rams tally three more runs across the final three innings starting with a Wilhoite RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. In the bottom of the seventh, Pendley doubled to right center and Ethan Flodstrom hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth to bring to the game to its final score as Josh Reed kept the Hilltoppers scoreless in the final 2 2/3 innings where he allowed just one hit while collecting three strikeouts to earn his third win of the season.

The Angelo State baseball team will hit the road this weekend to continue Lone Star Conference play at West Texas A&M beginning on Friday Apr. 11.

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Source Url : https://angelosports.com/news/2025/4/7/baseball-no-1-rams-down-no-19-hilltoppers-to-clinch-series.aspx