ST. GEORGE, Utah – The #22 West Texas A&M Lady Buffs used homeruns by Ashley Hardin and Shea Ibrahim and a complete game performance in the circle by Kilee Halbert to outlast the #13 Humboldt State, 3-2 on Saturday night at Karl Brooks Field in St. George, Utah during the 2016 Dixie State Invitational. The Lady Buffs remain unbeaten on the season as they move to 4-0 while the Jacks fall to 4-1-1.
 
The Lady Buffs started off the scoring in the top of the second inning as Ashley Hardin blasted her second homerun of the young season over the center field fence for an early 1-0 lead, the Jacks registered their first hit of the game with one out in the bottom of the second inning off of Kilee Halbert before the sophomore forced a lineout to Hardin in center followed by the Dalhart native's third strikeout of the game with WT leading 1-0 heading to the top of the third.
 
WT used the long ball to their advantage again in the top of the third inning as Stacey Ramirez singled to shortstop with two outs followed by a monster shot to right field over the scoreboard by Shea Ibrahim to give the Lady Buffs the 3-0 lead. Halbert continued to deal in the circle as she kept the Jacks off of the scoreboard thru five innings as Shayne Starkey ended the bottom of the fifth inning with a great jumping catch in foul territory to end the inning with WT leading 3-0.
 
Halbert got into a small jam in the bottom of the sixth inning with a leadoff single by Humboldt State before the sophomore responded with a fielder's choice groundout to the circle before a two run opposite field homerun by Tiffany Hollingsworth before Halbert responded with two outs as the Lady Buffs took a 3-2 lead into the 7^th. The Lady Buffs stranded a runner on third base in the top of the seventh as they took a 3-2 lead into the last half inning.
 
The Jacks put their first runner of the inning on via a hit-by-pitch followed by a groundout to Brittany Gehle at second to move the runner into scoring position with one out. Humboldt singled back to the circle to put runners on first and third with one out followed by a groundout to second base to put runners on first and second with two outs, WT hit another Jacks batter to load the bases with two outs before a groundout to Gehle at second ended the game with WT winning 3-2.
 
Halbert picked up the win (2-0) for the Lady Buffs in the circle as the sophomore gave up two runs (two earned) on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts in the complete game effort as she tossed 103 total pitches.
 
The Lady Buffs wrap-up action at the Dixie State Invitational tomorrow morning as they take on the Fort Lewis Skyhawks at 11:00 a.m. CT at the Canyons Softball Complex in St. George. WT topped the Skyhawks 9-1 in five innings on Friday in the season opener.