CANYON, Texas – The #11 Lady Buffs of West Texas A&M hit six homeruns and allowed just five total hits including one in the nightcap on Friday night as they rolled past the Mustangs of Western New Mexico at Schaeffer Park in Canyon, Texas. The Lady Buffs move to 20-4 (5-2 LSC) on the season while the Mustangs fall to 0-24 (0-10 LSC) overall.
 
The Lady Buffs and Mustangs conclude the weekend series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch of a doubleheader set for 2 p.m. at Schaeffer Park in Canyon.
 
GAME 1 - #11 West Texas A&M 8, Western New Mexico 0 (6 Innings)
The Lady Buffs used the long ball in the home half of the first inning to take their first lead as Hunter Ervin crushed a 2-1 offering deep to left center with two outs for a three-run bomb and thee early 3-0 lead. Shayne Starkey started off the second with a four-pitch walk followed by singles from Britany Cruz and Shanna McBroom to turn over the WT lineup as Shea Ibrahim doubled to right center to drive in two to make it 5-0, Ashley Hardin lifted a ball to center field for a sac fly to extend the WT lead to 6-0 after two innings of play.
 
Alexis Alfonso gave way to fellow senior Kami Merrill in the top of the fourth inning as the Calgary product registered a pair of strikeouts followed by a ground ball to third for the 1-2-3 frame. The Lady Buffs stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth before Merrill went to work again in the top of the fifth as she ran her strikeout total to four, McBroom added to the WT lead in the bottom of the fifth with a solo bomb to left with two outs to run the lead to 7-0.
 
WT ended the game in the home half of the sixth inning as Emilee Baker scored from third base on a wild pitch to end the game, 8-0. Merrill picked up her first career victory (1-0) in Maroon & White as the senior right hander allowed no runs on two hits with one walk and five strikeouts in her 3.0 innings of relief.
 
GAME 2 - #11 West Texas A&M 15, Western New Mexico 0 (5 Innings)
WT wasted little time starting off the scoring in the nightcap as Kourtney Coveney crushed a 2-run homerun to center field with no outs followed later in the inning by a Kylee Moore walk with the bases loaded to score another run and knock the WNMU starter from the game, Sierra Gentry drove in a run on a fielder's choice followed by a Cruz three-run bomb to left center at 7-0. Ibrahim lifted a ball to the wall in left to score Alyx Cordell with the sac fly for the 8-0 lead.
 
Hardin doubled to leadoff the home half of the second followed two batters later by a Maddie Green two-run blast to left center at 10-0, Kylee Moore connected on a solo bomb to left center field with one out to stretch the lead to 11-0. Coveney added to the lead in the third with an RBI double to right center at 12-0.
 
The Lady Buffs loaded the bases with no outs in the home half of the fourth before Baker singled up the middle to drive in a pair followed by a walk to Madi Meyers to load the bases again, Briana Garza walked in another run with two outs to run the lead to 15-0.
 
Kilee Halbert picked up the win (10-2) for the Lady Buffs, giving up no runs on one hit with no walks and four strikeouts in her three innings of work followed by relief innings by Starkey and Alexis Rainieir, who struck out one and had a 1-2-3 inning in her first appearance as a Lady Buff.