Angelo State claimed its second straight Lone Star Conference softball championship with a 13-5 run-rule victory over Abilene Christian on Saturday at Poly Wells Field in Abilene, Texas.

• Click here for photos
  

The Rambelles won their fourth league crown in seven seasons with two wins over the Wildcats in the championship series.  ASU (43-8) earned the LSC's automatic bid into the NCAA Division II South Central Regional.  The two four-team sites and the rest of the field will be announced Sunday.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
 
1B -- Kaitlyn Witte, West Texas A&M
2B -- Jackie Gentile, Abilene Christian
3B -- Nancy Sawyers, Abilene Christian
SS --  Macy Baker, Angelo State
C -- Laura Lopez, Angelo State
Utility - Nicole Smith, Angelo State
OF -- Laney Anderson, Southeastern Oklahoma
OF -- Ashley Geter, Central Oklahoma
DH -- April Haywood, Angelo State
P -- Jami McAdoo, Southeastern Oklahoma
P -- Marjorie Johnson, Southeastern Oklahoma
P -- Kim Partin, Abilene Christian
MVP -- Chelsea Nelson, Angelo State

ASU 13, ACU 5 (6 innings)

The No. 4-ranked Angelo State softball team (43-8) fell behind early but exploded for six runs in each the fourth and sixth innings to down No. 12 Abilene Christian, 13-5, to claim the 2009 Lone Star Conference Championship Saturday in Abilene.

The host Wildcats (42-13) plated four runs in the second and added another tally in the third to take an early 5-0 lead. ASU would then score 13 unanswered runs to capture its second straight LSC title and fourth league crown in seven seasons.

The Rambelles got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third as senior Macy Baker plated freshman Sandy James with a single up the middle. ASU then would score six runs in the fourth frame, on five hits, and six more in the sixth, on five ACU errors, to win its seventh straight game.

Angelo State opened the fourth with three straight hits, a double by junior Sarah DeMoss, a single by junior Nicole Smith and an RBI single by junior Kristen Frye, cutting the ACU lead to 5-2. James then reached on a fielders' choice, however Smith would score from third as ACU third baseman Nancy Sawyers missed the tag. Senior Laura Lopez would then cut the Wildcat lead down to one run, 5-4, with a single through the left side, scoring Frye, and Baker would give ASU its first lead of the game with a three-run homer, her 12th of the season, putting the Rambelles up 7-5.

Junior Megan Pumphrey would begin the final offensive outburst of the day with a two-out single to leftfield. Junior April Haywood reached on an ACU fielding error and DeMoss would reach on a Wildcat throwing error, scoring Pumphrey, to increase the Rambelle lead to 8-5.

Smith would put ASU up 10-5 with her second hit of the day, a double down the leftfield line, scoring freshman pinch runner Jasmaine Moore and DeMoss. Frye would then reach on ACU's third error of the inning, setting up an RBI single by James. DeMoss would also score on the play, and James would advance to third, after a fielding error by the Wildcat centerfielder. The Rambelles would end the game one batter later as Lopez reached on the fifth ACU error of the frame, allowing James to score from third.

Haywood (17-4) picked up the win after throwing the first four innings, giving up five runs, two of which were earned, with two strikeouts and seven walks. Junior right-hander Chelsea Nelson picked up her third save of the season, pitching the final two innings, allowing just one runner to reach base on a walk.

Baker would lead the offensive attack with a 2-for-4 performance with four RBI and a run scored while James and Smith both went 2-for-3 from the plate. James had three runs scored and two RBI while Smith had two RBI and two runs scored.

Nelson was named MVP of the tournament as the native of Highland Village led five Rambelles on the All-Tournament Team. Baker, Lopez, Smith and Haywood were each selected to the 13-person squad.

Next up for the Rambelles is the NCAA Division II South Central Tournament, May 8-10, at a site yet to be determined. Currently ranked No 1 in the region, ASU should host the four-team event at the ASU Softball Complex. The postseason field will be announced Sunday night, May. 3.

- Courtesy of ASU sports information