CANYON, Texas – The #22 Lady Buffs of West Texas A&M hit six homeruns and scored 26 runs in 10 innings as they remained unbeaten on the season with a pair of run-rule wins (12-0, 14-0) over the visiting Linclon Blue Tigers in front of over 300 fans at Schaeffer Park in Canyon, Texas during the opening day of the Lady Buff Invite. The Lady Buffs move to 12-0 on the season while Lincoln falls to 0-7.
GAME #1The Lady Buffs used the long ball to their advantage in the home half of the first inning as
Shea Ibrahim put WT on the board with a two run bomb on top of the black monster with one out followed two batters later by
Ashley Hardin's LSC leading seventh bomb of the year with a solo shot to center for the early 3-0 lead.
WT used the long ball to their advantage again the bottom of the third inning as
Kourtney Coveney ledoff the frame with a solo shot off of the protective netting covering the scoreboard in center, WT wasn't done yet as Ibrahim added to her RBI total later in the game with a three run shot to center with one out as the Lady Buffs took the 7-0 lead into the third inning. The Blue Tigers looked to cut into the lead in the top of the third as their first two runners reached before
Kilee Halbert registered her third strikeout of the game followed by a popup in foul territory to
Shayne Starkey at first before anther strikeout to end the frame at 7-0.
Halbert gave way to
Alexis Alfonso to start the fourth inning as the Pima College transfer forced two groundouts back to the circle followed by a full-count walk and an infield single before the junior struck out a Lincoln batter to end the inning, 7-0. WT added five more runs in the home half of the fourth as Ibrahim doubled to right center for her sixth RBI followed by an
Allie Smith RBI double and a Starkey single to right as WT took a 12-0 lead into the fifth inning.
Fonz continued to roll as the junior struck out the first two Blue Tiger batters of the frame followed by an infield popup to Ibrahim at third to end the game, 12-0. Halbert picked up the win (5-0) in the circle for the Lady Buffs, giving up no runs on two hits with two walks and four strikeouts in her three innings of work.
GAME #2Chelsea Skipper started her first collegiate game in the nightcap as the freshman struck out four of the first six batters that she faced as the teams headed into the home half of the second tied at 0-0.
WT took the lead in the bottom of the second as
Ashley Hardin doubled to the left center field gap with one out followed two batters later by a
Briana Garza double over the third base bag and down the left field line to score Hardin,
Emilee Baker walked on five pitches in her first career start in left field followed by a stolen base and a wild pitch that scored Garza from third before
Brittany Cruz laced a double to the deepest part of the ballpark in right center.
Stacey Ramirez added to the WT lead with an RBI single up the middle followed by a
Brittany Gehle RBI triple to right center as the senior took advantage of a Lincoln miscue and scored when the ball wasn't in the circle to run the WT lead to 6-0.
Skipper continued to roll as she added two more strikeouts to her total to run the number to six in the top of the third with WT leading 6-0,
Lacey Taylor ledoff the home half with a double to left center field followed two batters later by a
Kylee Moore infield single and Garza walk to load the bases. Baker drove in two runs with a single to left center to extend the WT lead to 8-0 after three complete innings of play. Skipper gave up her first hit of the game with one out in the fourth before registered a popup to Ramirez and her seventh strikeout to end the frame.
WT added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as Coveney jumped on the first pitch she saw for a solo bomb to straight away centerfield followed by an Ibrahim stand-up double to right center and a an
Alyssa Montoya RBI double down the left field line at 10-0. Moore drove home another run with an RBI groundout to shortstop followed by Garza being hit by a pitch before Baker's first collegiate homerun with a three run shot on top of the batting cages in left field to give the Lady Buffs the 14-0 lead.
Skipper allowed a leadoff single to start the fifth followed by a sacrifice bunt before the Blue Tigers popped up to Coveney at second, Lincoln tried to score their only run of the game with a single to center field but Hardin came up firing and gunned-down the would-be run at the plate to end the game, 14-0. Skipper picked up the win (1-0) in her first collegiate start, giving up no runs on three hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in the complete game shutout.
NEXT UPThe Lady Buffs return to action tomorrow afternoon as they take on the Western Oregon Wolves with first pitch of a doubleheader set for 3 p.m. tomorrow at Schaeffer Park. The Wolves topped Newman twice (2-0, 4-3) on Friday afternoon in earlier action at the Lady Buff Invite.
