Box Score

Season Stats

CANYON, Texas  –  West Texas A&M plated seven runs in the first and four in the second as it cruised to a 15-5 win over Eastern New Mexico  Friday evening at Wilder Park.  With the win, the Buffs improved to 30-15 on the year and 18-12 in Lone Star Conference play, while ENMU fell to 10-35 and 3-27 in league play.  The teams are scheduled to complete the series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
 
After the LSC's leading hitter, Daniel Ward, grounded into an inning-ending double play in the top of the first, the Buffs began the bottom of the frame with a single to center from senior Mason Shiflett.  Senior Nick Chapman hit a ground-rule double to right center for runners at second and third.  Senior Trace Hansen, who hadn't played since Aug. 2, reached on an error by the first baseman plating Shiflett for a 1-0 lead.  He then stole second and third and scored on a junior Hunter Henderson double and junior John Baiada plated Henderson for a 4-0 lead.  A walk to senior Jake Fuller brought up senior Matt Cole as all nine batters batted for the Buffs in the frame.  Following a balk, Cole singled home two runs for a 6-0 lead.  After a Shiflett walk, Chapman laced a double to left center for a 7-0 lead as ENMU went to the bullpen.  Chris Miranda-Carr relieved starter Alec Lemmon. 
 
ENMU's Enrique Perez began the bottom of the second on the mound as he relieved Miranda-Carr.  Fuller belted a two RBI double to left for a 9-0 lead in the bottom of the second.  A RBI single from Cole swelled the lead to 10-0.  Another RBI single gave WT an 11-0 lead.
 
Junior Josh Payne relieved Trujillo in the top of the third and the Greyhounds put two on with nobody out on a walk and an infield single.  A wild pitch put the runners at second and third.  Payne came back with two strikeouts, but ENMU loaded the bases with a walk on a 3-2 count.  A fielder's choice to third ended the threat as ENMU left the bases full.
 
A pair of doubles and a walk put ENMU on the board in the top of the fourth as Keenan Dodd doubled down the right field line for an 11-1 score.  WT went to the bullpen in favor of redshirt freshman Dominic Yearego.  A hit batsman loaded the bases, but an infield fly got the second out for the Buffs.  An infield single from Zach Shank gave ENMU its second run.  Yearego fanned Ward for the third out.
 
WT added a run in the bottom of the fourth on a single up the middle and then a throwing error plated the second run for a 13-2 lead.  ENMU scored on a ground out to short for a 13-3 score.  The Buffs added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 15-3 lead.
 
A pair of errors put two on for the Greyhounds in the top of the seventh as ENMU was down to its last at bat before the game being potentially called due to the run-rule.  Jacob Cluff laced a double to right center for two runs and a 15-5 score.  Yearego walked Dodd for two on.   A fielder's choice ended the game as Yearego picked up his first win in a WT uniform. 
 
Yearego went the final 3.2 innings, allowing four hits, three runs – one earned, walked two and fanned four on 61 pitches.  Lemmon (2-5) took the loss for the Greyhounds going 0.2 innings, allowing six hits, seven runs – three earned and he walked two.
 
Offensively, the Buffs tallied 15 runs on 18 hits with two errors, while ENMU had five runs on eight hits with two errors.  Shiflett, Chapman and Fuller each had three hits for the Buffs as Fuller led the way with three RBI and three runs scored.  A total of ten different Buffs tallied hits in the game and five had two hits or more. 
 
The win gave WT its 30^th win of the season marking the fourth-straight and eighth in the history of the program dating back to 1994.  It also was head coach Matt Vanderburg's fifth 30-plus win season in his eight years at WT.