CANYON, Texas – The top ranked Lady Buffs of West Texas A&M used a pair of fifth inning homeruns in the series finale and strong performances in the circle as they completed the Lone Star Conference sweep over the rival #22 Belles of Angelo State on Saturday at Schaeffer Park in Canyon, Texas. The Lady Buffs continue their best start to a season in school history as they move to 28-0 (12-0 LSC) while the Belles fall to 18-9 (7-5 LSC) overall.
GAME #1The Belles took an early lead in the top of the first inning as Madison Greenwell doubled to center to start the game followed by a groundout before a Kenedy Urbany single thru the left side put runners on the corners with one out, Alexis Evans drove in the first run of the game with a fielder's choice groundout to
Stacey Ramirez at short to give ASU the early 1-0 lead. The Lady Buffs responded in the home half of the first as
Brittany Gehle doubled to right center with one out followed by a 10-pitch
Shea Ibrahim at-bat that ended in a two-run shot the other way over the black monster in left field for the 2-1 lead.
WT used the long ball again in the home half of the second inning as
Kourtney Coveney launched a solo shot the opposite way into Buff Corral past the left center field fence for the 3-1 lead. The Lady Buffs loaded the bases with no outs in the home half of the third before a strikeout registered the first out, Coveney singled to left center to drive in two more runs before ASU responded with two outs as the Lady Buffs took the 5-1 lead into the fourth inning.
The Lady Buffs put the game away in the home half of the sixth inning as
Ashley Hardin launched a two-run blast to left center field with no outs followed later in the inning by another Coveney RBI with single to left center to score pinch-runner
Emilee Baker before
Brittany Cruz's single up the middle scored
Shayne Starkey to end the game, 9-1.
Kilee Halbert picked up the win (12-0) for the Lady Buffs, giving up one run on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts in her 4.2 innings of work while
Tori Bayer picked up her fourth save of the season, allowing no runs on one hit with one walk and two strikeouts in the final 1.1 innings of play.
GAME #2The Lady Buffs threatened in the second as
Allie Smith led off the inning with a single thru the left side followed by a Starkey double to the left center field gap to put runners on second and third with no outs but the LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, ASU's Brandy Marlett, responded with three straight strikeouts to head into the third tied 0-0.
The Belles took the first lead of the finale in the top of the third inning as they started the frame with three straight base hits as a Bailey Wallace single up the middle drove in a run before
Alexis Alfonso responded with two straight fly balls to end the frame with ASU leading 1-0. Smith led off the fourth with a double to left field that led to the Lady Buffs loading the bases with two outs before a groundout to the circle ended the frame with the Belles leading 1-0.
Angelo added to their lead in the top of the fifth inning as Alexis Evans singled to center field with the bases loaded and two outs to drive in a run but Hardin would end the inning as the sophomore hosed a runner at the plate with a frozen rope at 2-0. WT would score their first run of the nightcap in the home half of the fifth inning as Ibrahim led off the frame with a solo bomb to straight away center field off of the protective netting covering the scoreboard, WT wasn't done yet as Smith blasted a two-run shot into Buff Corral in left center field to give the Lady Buffs the 3-2 lead headed to the sixth.
The WT defense kept the Lady Buffs in the lead in the top of the sixth inning as the Belles threatened with runners on first and second with one out before Hardin snagged a linedrive in left center field and tossed to second base for the inning-ending double play with WT leading 3-2. That's all the lead that
Tori Bayer would need as the senior stranded a runner on second base with a flyout to Hardin in center field to end the game and complete the sweep, 3-2. Bayer picked up the win (8-0) for the Lady Buffs, giving up no runs on three hits with one walk and no strikeouts in the final 2.1 innings of play.
UP NEXTThe Lady Buffs hit the road for a Spring Break road trip starting on Wednesday afternoon with a doubleheader in Austin, Texas against St. Edward's with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. followed by a four-game Lone Star Conference series against Texas A&M-Commerce on Friday and Saturday at the John Cain Family Softball Complex in Commerce.
