Angelo State scored five runs in the top of the eighth inning to seize an 8-3 win over Abilene Christian in the first game of the Lone Star Conference softball championship series at Poly Wells Field in Abilene, Texas.

The Rambelles now hold the advantage in the best-of-three series which concludes on Saturday.  Game two is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Saturday, with the if-necessary game to follow.

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Senior Macy Baker and sophomore Alix Dean led off the extra frame with back-to-back doubles to spark the five-run eighth inning. Two batters later, junior April Haywood plated Dean with a single to rightfield, putting the Rambelles up 5-3. ASU then added a single by junior Sarah DeMoss and a two-run double by junior Nicole Smith before adding the final run as freshman Sandy James reached on a two-out error by the Wildcats, plating Smith.

The Rambelles opened the scoring in the top of the third inning as Lopez plated junior Kristen Frye with a double down the left-field line. ACU countered, however, in the bottom of the frame with a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead.

In the top of the fifth, James blasted her NCAA Division II-leading 24th home run of the season, scoring Frye, with two outs to give Angelo State back the lead. But once again, the Wildcats would respond with a solo home run by Nancy Sawyers, her 10th of the season, to knot the game, 3-3, after six innings to set up the extra-inning action.

Junior right-hander Chelsea Nelson (25-4) earned the win, giving up three earned runs on six hits in 7.0 innings of work. Nelson recorded one strikeout and issued three walks in the victory. Haywood tossed the final inning, allowing one hit and collecting a strikeout.

Smith led the Rambelles from the plate going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI while Lopez, Dean, Haywood and DeMoss each added multi-hit performances as ASU collected 12 hits in the win.

- Courtesy of ASU sports information