CANYON, Texas – The top ranked Lady Buffs of West Texas A&M plated four runs in the first inning and never looked back as they took a pair of Lone Star Conference games from the visiting Lions of Texas A&M-Commerce by a combined score of 22-7 in front of over 300 fans at Schaeffer Park in Canyon, Texas. The Lady Buffs move to 22-3 (9-1 LSC) with the wins while the Lions fall to 15-13 (4-4 LSC) on the season.
The Lady Buffs and Lions return to Schaeffer Park for Lone Star Conference action tomorrow with first pitch of a doubleheader set for 1 p.m. in Canyon.
Game #1#1 West Texas A&M 12, Texas A&M-Commerce 4 (Final/5 Innings)
WT wasted no time scoring as
Tyler Wilkinson singled to center field to leadoff the game followed by a stolen base and
Stacey Ramirez reaching on a throwing error by the Lions to score Wilkinson,
Renee Erwin doubled home Ramirez with a shot off of the center field wall followed by a
Kaisha Dacosin two run blast over the black monster in left field to knock the TAMUC starter from the game and give the Lady Buffs the early 4-0 lead.
The Lady Buffs weren't done yet as they added to their lead in the bottom of the second inning as
Allie Smith singled to center field with the bases loaded to drive in a pair of runs as the freshman continued her hot streak at the plate followed by an
Allie Cranfill three run blast to left field to make it 9-0 after two innings of play. Cranfill's second inning homerun marked the 52
nd time that the senior first baseman has gone yard in her WT career, she is chasing former teammate and current volunteer assistant coach
Kim LeComte's Lone Star Conference career record of 59 homeruns.
The long ball came into play again in the bottom of the third inning as Erwin sent a ball over the scoreboard in straight away center field onto WTAMU Drive that scored Ramirez from second base to stretch the WT lead to 11-0 after three innings. The Lions plated their first runs of the game in the top of the fifth inning with a two run double with one out to right center field by December Rivers to cut the lead to 11-2 followed by another two run double to right center by Brenda Iparraguirre to knock
Rita Hokianga from the game and bring in
Tori Bayer from the bullpen. Bayer entered the game and registered a strikeout for the second out of the inning followed by a groundout to Dacosin at third base to end the inning with WT leading 11-4.
Wilkinson led off the bottom of the fifth with an infield single followed by a bunt single by Ramirez to put runners on first and second with no outs, Erwin registered a five pitch walk to load the bases with Dacosin driving in the final run of the game with a hit-by-pitch RBI to give the Lady Buffs the 12-4 series opening win.
Hokianga had another strong outing for WT in the circle as the senior left hander improved to 10-2 on the season, giving up four runs on six hits with four walks and six strikeouts in her 4.1 innings of work. Bayer registered one strikeout and forced a groundout in her 0.2 innings of relief.
Game #2#1 West Texas A&M 10, Texas A&M-Commerce 3
The Lions threatened early in the nightcap as a pair of infield singles put runners on first and second with no outs before
Lacey Taylor gunned down a would-be base stealer at third base with a great throw followed by a
Hannah Newcomb strikeout. Commerce would strike first just two batters later with a two-run blast to left center field by Rivers, the WT defense would end the inning with another great play as Ramirez fielded a ball in the 5-6 hole at the back of the infield and threw out the runner at first as the Lions took an early 2-0 lead.
The Lady Buffs responded in the home half of the inning as they loaded the bases with no outs, Dacosin stayed hot at the plate with a two run single up the middle to score Wilkinson and Ramirez to tie the game at 2-2 after one complete inning of play. Commerce knocked Newcomb from the game in the top of the third inning with a one out single up the middle, Bayer entered from the bullpen once again as the junior right hander forced a line drive double play to Dacosin at third to end the inning tied at 2-2.
The Lions retook the lead in the top of the fifth inning as they used a walk and a stolen base to put a runner on second with one out, Bayer forced a ground ball to Ramirez at shortstop for the second out as the runner moved up to third followed by an infield single by Baylea Higgs to drive in Monica Cherry for the 3-2 lead. The Lady Buffs used a pair of singles by Wilkinson and Ramirez to put runners on first and second with one out in the home half of the fifth inning, Erwin flied out to the left field wall as the runners advanced followed by an intentional walk to Dacosin to load the bases. Taylor stepped to the plate and laced a triple down the left field line that scored three runs as an errant Commerce throw allowed Taylor to cross the plate, WT wasn't done yet as
Ashley Hardin crushed a ball down the left field line that landed on top of the black monster for the 9-3 lead.
Erwin connected on her second homerun of the day in the bottom of the sixth inning as the senior launched a moon-shot solo bomb to left center field with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning for the 10-3 lead, that's all that Bayer would need as she finished off the game to move to 6-0 in the circle, giving up one run on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts in her 4.2 innings of work.
