CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M senior first baseman
Allie Cranfill made the most of her final regular season series at Schaeffer Park as the Frisco, Texas native became Division II's all-time leader in grand slams with a walkoff blast to left field in the nightcap to clinch the 2015 Lone Star Conference Championship for the #2 Lady Buffs as they split doubleheader action with Texas Woman's on Saturday afternoon in Canyon, Texas. The Lady Buffs move to 42-6 (22-4 LSC) on the season while the Pioneers will enter the final regular season doubleheader with a 25-19-2 (17-7-2 LSC).
The Lady Buffs and Pioneers will conclude the 2015 regular season tomorrow afternoon as they take the artificial surface of Schaeffer Park for a doubleheader with first pitch set for 1 p.m. in Canyon. WT has earned the right to host the Lone Star Conference Championship on May 1-2, they will be the top seed in the event and receive a bye in the quarterfinal round and play the winner of the 4/5 seed game in the semifinals on Friday night at a time to be determined. Stay tuned to GoBuffsGo.com for the tournament website and ticket information to be released in the upcoming days.
Game #1Texas Woman's 13, #2 West Texas A&M 10
The Lady Buffs started off the scoring in the home half of the first inning as a leadoff single by
Stacey Ramirez followed by a pair of walks brought
Allie Smith to the dish with the bases loaded and one out, the freshman singled to center field followed by a full count walk to
Allie Cranfill to score another run as WT took the early 2-0 lead. The Lady Buffs added to their lead in the bottom of the second with the bases loaded again as
Lacey Taylor singled to center field to drive in a pair to run the lead to 4-0 after two complete.
The Pioneer responded in the top of the third inning as an infield single by Laura Mabary to score their first run followed later in the inning by an Alyssa Galaz grand slam on a line drive down the right field line to give TWU the 5-4 lead. The Lady Buffs answered in the home half of the frame as they took advantage of a substitution mistake made by the Pioneer staff as they brought teams back on the field after the apparent third out to the ineligible player before WT loaded the bases and eventually tied the game on a full count walk by
Kaisha Dacosin to make the score 5-5. TWU retook the lead in the top of the fourth inning as Mabary struck again with a two run single up the middle with one out before
Brittany Gehle ended the inning with a great snag on a line drive followed by a dive to the bag at second for the double play as TWU took the 7-5 lead.
The Pioneers added to their lead in the top of the fifth inning as Galaz connected on her second homerun of the day, this time a solo shot the opposite way to right field to leadoff the frame as
Rita Hokianga was knocked from the game,
Tori Bayer entered to allow a bunt single to put runners on first and second before she forced a ground ball to Dacosin at third who stepped on the bag and fired across the diamond to end the inning with a double play as the Pioneers took the 8-5 lead. The Lady Buffs used the long ball to their advantage in the bottom of the fifth inning as
Renee Erwin was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game but WT took the momentum with a stolen base that allowed Gehle to score from third followed by a two run blast to straight away center field by Dacosin to tie the game at 8-8.
TWU used the long ball once again in the top of the sixth inning as the Lady Buffs intentionally walked Galaz with two outs and runners on second and third followed by a Tylia Sylestine grand slam to left center field on a 2-1 Bayer offering to take the 12-8 lead. WT cut into the lead in the home half of the sixth as Cranfill led off the frame with a walk followed by a two run blast to right center by
Ashley Hardin as the teams headed into the seventh inning with the Pioneers holding the 12-10 lead. TWU added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning as Kendra Sancet doubled off of the right center field wall in the deepest part of the park to run the lead to 13-10.
Bayer picked up the loss (6-2) in the circle for the Lady Buffs as she gave up five runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts in the final 2.2 innings while Hokianga allowed eight runs on eight hits with four walks and four strikeouts in her 4.1 innings of work.
Game #2#2 West Texas A&M 9, Texas Woman's 5
The Pioneers capitalized on a pair of WT mistakes in the top of the second inning as a single up the middle by Alexis Elizonda plated the first run of the game following a Lady Buff fielding error before another run crossed the plate on a wild pitch with two outs to give TWU the early 2-0 lead. The Lady Buffs struggled in the opening three innings before an Erwin single up the middle with one out in the fourth gave the momentum back to the home team, Dacosin walked on five pitches followed by a Taylor sacrifice bunt to third. Smith doubled to the left center gap with two outs to drive in a pair of runs followed two pitches later by a Cranfill two run blast to left center field as WT took the 4-2 lead.
TWU responded immediately as Nicole Nordie took a 2-0
Hannah Newcomb offering deep over the black monster in left field to start the top of the fifth inning followed later in the frame by an RBI double to the left center field gap by Sylstine to knock Newcomb from the game.
Kilee Halbert entered from the bullpen and did her job as she pulled the trigger on a full count changeup for the strikeout to end the inning with the teams tied at 4-4. The Lady Buffs threatened in the bottom of the frame as they loaded the bases with two outs but TWU's Tori Bice registered a strikeout to end the inning with the teams tied at 4-4.
TWU retook the lead in the top of the seventh inning as Sancet doubled to left center with no outs to drive in a run before Halbert answered with three straight outs to strand a runner on third base with the Pioneers leading 5-4. The Lady Buffs took advantage of a TWU error as Gehle got to third base to start the inning followed two batters later by a Dacosin RBI single to left field to tie the game, Taylor singled up the middle to put runners on first and second with one out followed by a Smith single thru the left side to load the bases.
Cranfill made history as the senior battled thru a nine-pitch at bat to launch a full count walkoff grand slam over the black monster in left field with one out to become the brand new NCAA Division II career leader with seven to pass former teammate Meghan Slattery. The win gave the Lady Buffs the 2015 Lone Star Conference Championship for their second straight title and the right to host the LSC Championship next weekend in Canyon. Halbert picked up the win (7-0) for the Lady Buffs in the circle, giving up one run on two hits with one walk and two strikeouts in the final 2.1 innings while Newcomb allowed four runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts in her 4.2 innings of work.
