Box Score

Season Stats

CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M baseball team returned home and posted a 6-1 victory over visiting Tarleton State Friday evening at Wilder Park in the first game of a four game series.  WT improved to 15-10 on the year and 7-6 in Lone Star Conference play, while Tarleton State fell to 9-9 and 3-5 in league play.
 
WT senior Tyler Gibson pitched his first complete game of his WT career, allowing one earned run on five hits, with no walks and a career-high 10 strikeouts.  It was his second game of pitching nine innings as he tossed nine in a 4-3 extra-inning loss to No. 9 Southern Arkansas earlier in the year as he didn't have a decision in that contest.
 
Offensively, the bats came to live Friday evening as WT belted seven hits with two triples as junior Trace Hansen had two hits with two runs scored and a RBI.  Alec Humphreyes led the way for TSU with two hits and a RBI.  TSU's Matt Herrick (2-2) took the loss in five innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs with three walks and two strikeouts.
 
The teams will be back in action Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. at Wilder Park.  The series is scheduled to conclude Sunday with a single game beginning at 1 p.m.
 
The Buffs used a leadoff single by senior Ryan March and a stolen base put him into scoring position in the bottom of the first.  From there, junior Trace Hansen laced a single through the right side for a 1-0 lead. 
 
In the top of the second, Gibson struck out the side for his fourth strikeout of the game.  A throwing error with one out put TSU with a runner at second in the top of the fourth.  A ground out moved the runner to third with two away.  Gibson got a slow roller to third for the third out and preserved the 1-0 lead.
 
Tarleton State put two on with one out in the top of the fifth with a pair of singles.   An infield single to short loaded the bases for the Texans as WT shortstop Max Brennen saved a run with a diving stop deep in the hole to keep a run from scoring.  A fielder's choice for Alec Humphreys tied the game with a bang-bang play at first keeping the inning alive.  A ground out to second ended the frame and kept the score 1-1.
 
WT put two on in the bottom of the fifth with a walk and a single from Brennen with one out.  Like in the top of the frame, a fielder's choice followed putting senior Dylan Dyson at third.  A 3-2 RBI single for March put WT up 2-1 with two away.  A fly out to right ended the threat leaving two stranded. 
 
In the bottom of the sixth, junior Matt Cole belted a RBI triple to right center for a 3-1 lead.  Junior Josh Day followed suit with a RBI triple off the left field wall for a 4-1 lead off Tarleton State reliever Troyal Yosko who began the inning.  Dyson hit a sacrifice fly to center for a 5-1 lead. 
 
WT put runners at the corners with one out in the seventh and a fielder's choice plated the sixth run of the game for the Buffs and a 6-1 lead.