LUBBOCK, Texas – The top ranked Lady Buffs of West Texas A&M suffered a heartbreaking walkoff loss in the opener but responded with homeruns by
Allie Smith and
Tyler Wilkinson in the nightcap to split a midweek doubleheader with the Heartland Conference leading Lady Chaps of Lubbock Christian at PlainsCapital Park in Lubbock, Texas on Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Buffs move to 24-5 on the season while Lubbock Christian moves to 21-7 overall.
The Lady Buffs return to Lone Star Conference action this weekend as they travel to Lawton, Oklahoma for a first place battle with the Aggies of Cameron starting on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. at McMahon Field followed by the final two games of the series on Saturday with doubleheader action set for 12 p.m. The Aggies enter the weekend with an overall record of 24-3 with a 6-1 mark in league play after taking three of four games from Eastern New Mexico in Portales last weekend.
Game #1Lubbock Christian 4, #1 West Texas A&M 3
The Lady Chaps started off the scoring in the bottom of the second inning as Molly Davison took the first pitch of the inning over the wall in left field for her sixth homerun of the year and the 43
rd by LCU for the early 1-0 lead. Lubbock Christian used the long ball to their advantage again as Ashton Bell gave the Lady Chaps the 2-0 lead in the home half of the third inning with a solo homerun to right center field.
LCU wasn't done yet as they added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with a Kailtin Reed leadoff single as she moved up to second base with a sacrifice bunt, Bell drove in her second RBI of the game two batters later with a single up the middle to score Reed and give the Lady Chaps the 3-0 lead after five innings of play.
The Lady Buffs showed their first offensive spark in the top of the sixth inning as
Stacey Ramirez layed down a bunt single with one out in the frame followed by a
Renee Erwin single thru the right side to put runners on first and second.
Kaisha Dacosin grounded into a fielder's choice to move Ramirez to third as Erwin was out on the play at second to put runners on the corners with two outs before LCU's Courtney McGee forced a ground ball back to the circle as she tossed to first for the last out of the frame as the Lady Chaps held onto the 3-0 lead.
WT wouldn't go down without a fight in the seventh inning as
Allie Cranfill and
Ashley Hardin registered back-to-back singles with one out in the frame followed by a
Brittany Gehle walk to load the bases as the top of the order came up for the Lady Buffs, McGee responded with a strikeout of
Tyler Wilkinson for the second out before a passed ball allowed the runners to move up 60 feet and Cranfill to score from third. Ramirez tied the game with two outs and the junior shortstop singled to left center to drive in Hardin and Gehle as WT tied the game at 3-3 headed to the bottom of the seventh.
The Lady Chaps used a one-out single and a WT throwing error to put a runner on second base as
Tori Bayer was knocked from the circle to give way to
Rita Hokianga, the senior left hander forced a ground ball back to the circle for the second out as the runner advanced to third followed by a wild pitch that allowed the Lady Chaps to take the 4-3 win. Bayer picked up her first collegiate loss in the circle (6-1) for the Lady Buffs, giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts in her 6.1 innings of work.
Game #2#1 West Texas A&M 4, Lubbock Christian 3
The Lady Buffs wasted no time scoring in the nightcap of the doubleheader as
Allie Smith continued her hot streak at the dish in the top of the first inning with a two run blast to left field to drive in Dacosin who had singled earlier in the frame as WT took the early 2-0 lead. LCU threatened in the bottom of the second inning with a leadoff single and a hit-by-pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs before
Kilee Halbert forced a double play ball to
Morgan Harrison at second who tagged the base runner and threw to Cranfill at first, the inning would end one batter later on a ground ball to first as WT took the 2-0 lead into the third inning.
WT used the long ball again in the top of the fifth inning as Wilkinson connected on her second career inside-the-park homerun on a line drive shot to center field to drive in
Hannah Limmer who walked earlier in the frame for the 4-0 lead. Wilkinson showed her diversity at the plate as the talented slapper, in her first career start hitting in the nine-hole, registered her second inside-the-park homerun of her career and the season following a leadoff shot to left center against CSU-Pueblo in Canyon back on February 15
th in a 4-2 victory.
The Lady Chaps responded in the bottom of the fifth inning as they used a two-run homerun over the right center field fence with one out by Sydney Beuthien to drive in Bell, LCU continued the frame with a WT fielding error to put a runner on first to knock Halbert from the game as
Hannah Newcomb entered from the bullpen. Newcomb handed out a five pitch walk to the first batter she faced to put runners on first and second with one out, Davison drove in her second run of the day with an single thru the left side followed by a wild pitch to move the runners up to second and third with one out. LCU loaded the bases with a five-pitch walk before Newcomb responded with a fielder's choice groundout to cut down the lead runner at home followed by a flyout to Erwin in right field to end the inning with the Lady Buffs leading 4-3.
The sixth of the seventh saw Hokianga enter the game to start the frame as the senior left hander allowed a leadoff single thru the right side before forcing a fielder's choice to cut down the lead runner at second, another fielder's choice gave the Lady Buffs two outs before a flyout to Wilkinson in center field ended the frame with WT holding onto the 4-3 lead. Hardin led off the top of the seventh inning with a double down the left field line followed by a Gehle sacrifice bunt to move the freshman to third but LCU would answer with two straight outs to end the threat with WT leading 4-3 headed to the bottom of the seventh.
The one run lead would be all that Hokianga would need as the senior forced a flyout to left field followed by her first strikeout of the game, the game would end five pitches later as Hokianga forced a groundout to Ramirez at shortstop to give the Lady Buffs the 4-3 win. Halbert picked up the win (2-0) for the Lady Buffs, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits with two walks and two strikeout in her 4.1 innings of work while Hokianga grabs her third save, giving up no runs on one hit with no walks and a strikeout in the final two innings.
