GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.  – The West Texas A&M baseball team had its chances in a 4-2 loss to Lubbock Christian Friday afternoon in the NCAA South Central Regional at Suplizio Field on the campus of Colorado Mesa University.  The Buffs end their season with a 36-20 record matching last season's mark. 

WT had two runs on ten hits with no errors, while LCU had four runs on 14 hits with one error.  The Chaps improve to 37-17 on the year.   Senior Josh Day paced the team going 4 of 5 with a RBI and a double, while junior Troy LaBrie went 2 for 4.  Senior Austin Moore went 6.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on 10 hits, two walks and he fanned six in his final outing in a Buff uniform. 

Despite the loss, WT had another tremendous and record-setting season as the Buffs won the program's first Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship under eighth year head coach Matt Vanderburg.  The Buffs were the only current Lone Star Conference team to make three consecutive NCAA South Central Regionals and the first since former LSC member Abilene Christian from 2008 to 2010. 

Under Vanderburg, the Buffs have a 241-173 record and he earned Co-Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year honors last season as the Buffs earned a share of the regular season title in 2015.  The Buffs have won 30 or more games each of the past four seasons and five of his eight seasons.

WT had ten players named to the all-conference teams this season with five first team selections and five second team and the Buffs had thee all-region second team selections this season in Moore and seniors Trace Hansen and Kyle Tinius. 

The 2016 Senior Class includes; Nick Chapman, Matt Cole, Josh Day, Aaron De La Paz, Jake Fuller, Trace Hansen, Austin Moore, Jace Reese, Nolan Savage, Mason Shiflett, Kyle Tinius, Brooks Trujillo and Luke Wiechec.

In the top of the first, the Buffs got off to a much better start than yesterday as senior Trace Hansen doubled to the left field corner to begin the game and then scored on a senior Josh Day double to left for a 1-0 lead.  For LCU in the bottom of the first, the Chaps put two on with two out, but WT senior pitcher Austin Moore came back with a huge strikeout to end the threat preserving the 1-0 lead.

A fielding error by the Chaps put Hansen at first with nobody out in the third.  Day singled to center as Hansen advanced to second and he stole third.  From there, junior Hunter Henderson hit a sacrifice fly to center plating Hansen for a 2-0 lead. 

LCU got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as a two out walk with one on kept the frame alive for the Chaps.  Jesse Pintado singled through the left side for a 2-1 score. 

In the sixth, the Buffs loaded the bases for their second great scoring opportunity on a junior John Baiada single to center, followed by a junior Troy LaBrie single through the right and a walk to senior Matt Cole, who was down 0-2 in the count with two out, and battled back to earn the walk.  From there Hansen put a ball to center, but LCU center fielder Brent Stewart made a nice diving catch to rob the Buffs of a big inning. 

LCU tied the game in the bottom of the sixth as JP Rousseau doubled down the right field line and then Brendan McCarthy doubled for runners at second and third.  Stewart grounded out for a 2-2 score.  Moore got his sixth strikeout of the game fanning Brett Wilhelm to end the inning.

Following a walk to senior Mason Shiflett, Day singled through the left side as LCU went to the bullpen in favor of Glen Warrick replacing Russell Reber at the beginning of the seventh.  Redshirt freshman Blake Weaver was hit with a pitch loading the bases once again.  Two fielder's choice outs at home and a ground out to short ended the frame as the Buffs left the bags full once again.

A one out walk to Jaime Bustamante on a 3-2 count in the bottom of the seventh made the Buffs make a call to the bullpen as junior Justin McAllister replaced Moore who had a strong outing.  Following the change, Pintado singled to left for two on.  Following a strikeout, McAllister rung up Rousseau for the third out as the Chaps left two stranded.

Senior Jake Fuller drew a walk to begin the top of the eighth for the Buffs off the third pitcher of the game for the Chaps in Brent Bezio who got LCU out of the bases loaded jam the inning before.  Following a fielder's choice to deep short, Hansen popped up to third for the second out.  On a 2-2 count with a number of fouled off pitches, Bezio bested Shiflett with a strikeout as the Buffs left their 12^th base runner stranded.

Pinch-hitter Ryan Rogers began the bottom of the eighth with a single to center.  A fielder's choice at second got the first out.  McAllister got a fly out to right for the second out.  Wilhelm singled to right moving the runners to the corners with two away.  Senior Kyle Tinius, a Broomfield, Colo., native, replaced McAllister to try and get out of the jam to face nine-hitter Brandon Urquizo who was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts to that point.  Urquizo hit a bases clearing triple to right center for a 4-2 LCU lead.

Day began the Buffs' last at bat with a single up the middle.  Following a fly out to right, a wild pitch moved Day to second.  A fly out moved Day to third.  A ground out to second ended the game and the season as WT left 13 on base. 

McAllister (7-3) took the loss in 1.1 innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs and he fanned two.  Bezio (6-2) earned the win in three innings, allowing one hit, walked one and fanned one.