TUCSON, Arizona – The #2 Lady Buffs of West Texas A&M stranded the tying run 60 feet away from home plate on Sunday afternoon as they fell to the #23 TrailBlazers of Dixie State, 7-6 in the finale of the 2017 Cactus Classic at Lincoln Park in Tucson, Arizona. The Lady Buffs fall to 14-2 overall while DSU improves to 12-2.
 
Dixie started off the scoring in the top of the first inning with a leadoff walk and stolen base followed two hitters by a passed ball and a single to center for the game's first run Kilee Halbert responded with a strikeout followed by a pair of walks to load the bases but Halbert struck out the next TrailBlazer batter to end the inning. WT responded in the home half of the frame as Allie Smith singled to right center with runners on first and second to tie the game at 1-1.
 
DSU took the lead again in the second as Brenna Hinck singled up the middle to drive in a run followed by a walk and an infield single to put runners on the corners with no outs, Halbert gave way to Kami Merrill and the transfer registered a strikeout followed by a pair of popups to end the inning with Dixie leading 2-1.
 
Kylee Moore was hit by a pitch to start the second followed by a Shayne Starkey bunt single and Dixie error to put runners on the corners, Brittany Cruz crushed a three-run bomb to left center to knock the DSU starter from the game and Shanna McBroom welcomed the new pitcher with a solo shot to left center on the second pitch she saw at 5-2.
 
The TrailBlazers answered in the top of the third inning with back-to-back doubled down the left field line to score a pair followed by an RBI single to right field before a HBP to knock Merrill from the game, fellow senior Alexis Alfonso entered and allowed an infield single to load the bases before a grounder to third ended the frame tied at 5-5.
 
Dixie retook the lead in the top of the fifth as they loaded the bases with one out followed by a hit-by-pitch to drive in a run, Shayne Starkey responded with a strikeout and a fly ball to left as DSU took the 6-5 lead. Ashley Hardin doubled off of the third base bag to start the fifth followed by a Shea Ibrahim sac bunt to the circle before DSU forced a ground ball to short and a grounder to third to end the inning.
 
The TrailBlazers added to their lead in the sixth as they used another leadoff walk and a bunt single to put runners on first and third with no outs, Dixie scored another run on a fielder's choice up the middle followed by a groundout to Ibrahim at third and a grounder to end the frame. WT threatened again in the home half of the sixth with singles by Cruz and McBroom with two outs but another strikeout with runners on ended the inning with DSU leading 7-5.
 
Hardin ledoff the seventh with a first-pitch single to left field followed by an Ibrahim double to the right center field gap to put a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs, Dixie forced a groundout to shortstop followed by an RBI grounder to short to score Hardin before DSU forced a popup to end the game. Starkey picked up the loss (3-1) for the Lady Buffs, giving up one run (earned) on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts in the final 3.0 innings of play.
 
UP NEXT
The Lady Buffs begin the defense of their Lone Star Conference Championship next weekend as they host the Pioneers of Texas Woman's in a three-game series starting on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Schaeffer Park in Canyon.