CANYON, Texas – Behind a career-high 10 strikeouts from senior Joshua Payne, the West Texas A&M baseball team blanked visiting Northwestern Oklahoma State for the second game in a row, 8-0 Friday evening as the Buffs improved to 5-0 on the year.  WT also tossed its second-straight one-hitter against the Rangers.

WT had won the first four games of the season in 2012, 2011 and 2009, all under Vanderburg, but lost the next game each time.  The Buffs had 11 hits in the game Friday evening as the team had another balanced offensive attack with five different players recording two hits each.  Junior Adam Adkins went two for five with two RBI and a run scored as he belted his second home run of the season along with a double, while senior Chad Brown went two for four with a run scored and two RBI on a pair of doubles. 

Senior Justin McAllister picked up the save, going the final three innings in relief of Payne (1-0) who tossed six outstanding innings, allowing one hit, walked two and fanned ten.  Just four batters got on base for the Rangers in the game, one by hit, two by walks as Garrett Douglas collected the only hit of the game for NWOSU in the top of the sixth.

NWOSU (2-4) starter Brandon Culbert (0-2) went six innings, allowing seven hits, five earned runs, walked one and fanned five as the Rangers used four pitchers in the game.

In the top of the first, senior Joshua Payne struck out the side on 13 pitches continuing the theme of strikeouts from last night as the Buffs fanned 14 Rangers by junior Marshall Kasowski in the 15-0, run-rule victory.  Culbert fanned two Buffs in the bottom of the frame and a ground out to short for a three-up-three-down first inning for both teams.

Following two quick outs by Culbert in the bottom of the second, senior designated hitter Hunter Henderson singled up the middle, followed by a RBI double to right center from Brown and a RBI single from junior Nick Canas for a 2-0 lead.

Payne struck out the side once again in the fourth, for eight strikeouts in the game in 57 pitches.  A leadoff single from senior Troy LaBrie began the bottom of the fourth for the Buffs and Henderson singled just past a diving third baseman for two on with nobody out.  Brown hit a RBI double down the left field line for a 3-0 lead.  Following a fly out to left, a hit batsman loaded the baes for the Buffs.  Junior Bodie Bryan hit a sacrifice fly to right for a 4-0 lead.

Adkins, the reigning LSC Player of the Week, hit his second home run of the season for a 5-0 lead to begin the bottom of the fifth for the Buffs.  It marked the ninth home run hit by WT in five games this season. 

A two out single from Douglas in the top of the sixth was the first hit Payne allowed in the game on comebacker up the middle.  Prior to the single, Payne had retired 12-straight.  A wild pitch moved Douglas to second and, on a 3-2 count, Greg Carrington walked, and a passed ball moved Douglas to third.  A chopper to short got the Buffs out of the inning on a fielder's choice as NWOSU left two stranded. 

McAllister relieved Payne to begin the seventh as Payne went six innings, allowing one hit, walked two and fanned a career-high ten. 

NWOSU went to the bullpen to begin the bottom of the seventh as Matthew Bickford relieved Culbert.   A walk, double and intentional walk loaded the bases with one out for the Buffs in the bottom of the seventh.  LaBrie singled through the left side for a RBI single and a 6-0 lead.  A nice stop at the hot corner got the Rangers out of the inning without any further damage. 

Canas hit a ground-rule double to left center, a walk and infield single loaded the bases with nobody out for the Buffs in the bottom of the eighth.  A pitching change followed as junior Jimmy Cubillos hit a sacrifice fly to center for a 7-0 lead.  Adkins scored a RBI ground out for an 8-0 lead with two away.

WT will look for the sweep Saturday at 4 p.m. at Wilder Park to conclude the three-game series and the first home weekend of the season.