ABILENE, Texas – Ricky Cramer worked nine nearly flawless innings and the Cameron Aggies (31-14) jumped out to an early lead to knock off Tarleton State (35-12) 4-1 in the opening game of the 2011 Lone Star Conference Baseball Championships held at Crutcher Scott Field in Abilene on Saturday night.

Josh Dawson took a pitch to the shoulder to lead off the game and the newly minted LSC Player of the Year Chase Larsson blasted a ball over the center fielder’s head for a stand-up triple to get Dawson in and the Aggies a 1-0 lead.

After Kenny Held was hit by a pitch and a strikeout, Joe Halley singled to right field to advance Held to third and knock it Larsson to make it 2-0.

In the second, the Aggies added two more including one run off a Brad Blumer triple that found its way into the far right field corner.

That was as far as Tarleton starter Brandyn Green would go as the Aggies chased him from the game after just 1.2 innings of work.

Reliever Ryan Salt entered and quelled the CU storm, holding the Aggies scoreless as he worked 6.1 innings, allowing just four hits and striking out five.

In the seventh, the Texans got on the board by way of a Zane Hensley sacrifice fly to bring in Junnior Dishmey from third, but that was as many as they could add in the frame as Ricky Cramer gave the final two batters punched tickets to the dugout.

Up 4-1, Cramer entered the ninth and allowed a lead off single from Ethan Stuckly but sat down the next three in order to secure the victory.

Cramer moves to 8-3 on the year after allowing just one run off six hits for the complete game performance, his seventh of the season. The All-LSC first teamer struck out nine batters without issuing a walk.

Next up for the Aggies will be the Southeastern Oklahoma Savage Storm. The last time the two teams met, at McCord Field, the Aggies came away with a 28-19 victory in a game that set a conference record for the most runs scored in a game.

First pitch is set for 7 p.m. at Crutcher Scott Field in Abilene.