Box Score (Game One)Box Score (Game Two)Season StatsSTEPHENVILLE, Texas – The West Texas A&M baseball team split a doubleheader Saturday at Tarleton State as the Buffs won the opener 9-3, while TSU took the nightcap 6-2. WT and TSU are scheduled to complete the series Sunday at 11 a.m.
The Buffs now are 30-16 overall and 19-12 in Lone Star Conference play, while Tarleton State is 20-19 and 13-15 in league play. If the Buffs were to win tomorrow's game, they would pull into a tie for first in the league standings with Texas A&M-Kingsville at 20-12.
Angelo State swept the Javelinas this weekend in a three game series. With a loss Sunday, the Buffs would be tied for second with ASU at 19-13 as each team has three conference games remaining next weekend as TAMUK would have a one game lead. Each team won and lost a series against each other this season. TAMUK hosts Tarleton State next weekend, while Angelo State hosts Eastern New Mexico and the Buffs play host to Cameron.
West Texas A&M 9, Tarleton State 3 (Game 1)In the opener, the Texans took the lead 1-0 in the first inning as Zach Fleet reached on a fielder's choice scoring Jonathan Schmitz who walked to begin the game. The Buffs tied the score at one in the top of the second as junior
Josh Day was plunked with a pitch to begin the frame and scored on a sacrifice fly later from senior
Max Brennen.
TSU went up 2-1 in the bottom of the inning as Elijah Christenson began the inning with a triple to right and scored on a single up the middle from Dalton Weeks.
After a scoreless third for both teams, the Buffs took control with eight runs over the next three innings for a 9-2 lead. Senior
Dylan Dyson tied the game at two in the fourth on a solo home run to begin the frame. Brennen doubled to center and scored on a sacrifice fly, followed by RBI single from senior
Ryan March for a 4-2 lead.
In the fifth, junior
Trace Hansen began the inning with single up the middle and Day belted a two run home run for his fourth round-tripper of the season and a 6-2 lead. Following two quick outs, the Buffs got a pair of singles from junior
Aaron De La Paz and Brennen and loaded the bases with a walk. March was plunked by a pitch scoring the third run of the frame and junior
Matt Cole walked with the bases loaded for the 8-2 lead.
A lead-off double from Day began the sixth and he scored on a sacrifice fly from senior
Justin Hargrove for a 9-2 lead and the eighth unanswered run. In the bottom of the inning, Landon Merka doubled down the left field line and scored on a Weeks RBI single to third for a 9-3 score. It would be as close as the Texans would get.
WT senior pitcher
Tyler Gibson tossed his third complete game of the season as he improved to 5-2 on the year, allowing eight hits, three earned runs, one walk and he fanned four. Of the 12 hits in the game for the Buffs, five players had two hits each as Day was 2 for 3 with two RBI, a double, a home run and three runs scored. Brennen was 2 for 3 with a RBI and two runs scored.
TSU starter Matt Herrick (3-5) took the loss as he went 4.2 innings, allowing nine hits, eight earned runs, walked one and fanned three. Weeks finished 3 for 3 with two RBI to lead the Texans.
The win gave WT its 30
th win of the season and marked the third consecutive season of 30 wins or more as the Buffs improved to 30-15. It also marked WT head coach
Matt Vanderburg's 199
thwin in his seventh season at WT as he improved to 199-148. Vanderburg also improved to 20-15 all-time against TSU with the win.
Talreton State 6, West Texas A&M 2 (Game 2)A 6-1 start over the first three innings proved to be too much as TSU went on for the 6-2 win in the nightcap. WT tallied two runs on five hits and left eight stranded, while TSU had scored six runs on nine hits with one error and left six on base.
De La Paz was 2 for 4 with a run scored to lead the team, while Kevin Meredith was 3 for 4 with two runs scored and a RBI to pace the Texans. Christenson was 1 for 3 with two RBI.
WT junior
Kyle Tinius (5-2) took the loss as he allowed four hits, two earned runs and fanned two over the first two innings. Kyle Gottardy (4-5) earned the win going seven innings, allowing five hits, two unearned runs and walked two.
The Texans plated two runs in the second as they began the inning with a pair of singles and loaded the bases. Christensen singled home the two runs for a 2-0 lead.
WT cut the deficit to 2-1 in the top of the third as De La Paz opened the inning with a double to center. An error scored De La Paz. Senior
Justin Disbro relieved Tinius in the bottom of the frame, but TSU scored four times with two out in the inning as Thompson doubled home two runs to right along with a RBI single and a score on a wild pitch.
Gottardy retired the Buffs in order in the next three innings. In the seventh, WT looked to have something going with two away, but stranded two in the frame. In the eighth, the Buffs cut the deficit to 6-2 with an unearned run scoring on a passed ball. WT again stranded two and also stranded two in the ninth for six left on over the last three innings.
