PORTALES, N.M. – The No. 3-ranked West Texas A&M baseball team, behind a career-high and school-record tying 17 strikeouts from junior Marshall Kasowski, won the series opener 2-1 at Eastern New Mexico Friday evening.  With the win, WT improved to 19-4 and 1-0 in Lone Star Conference play, while ENMU fell to 21-6 and 0-1 in league play.  Saturday's doubleheader is set for 2 p.m. CT.  Fans can access live stats and streaming at www.gobuffsgo.com on the baseball schedule page. 

Kasowski pitched 7.1 innings as he improved to 5-2 on the year, with a no-hitter into the seventh and tied the record for strikeouts in a game as former Buff Brooks Trujillo fanned 17 at Northwestern Oklahoma State on Feb. 13, 2016.  Kasowski had a previous career-best earlier this season with 16 K's in a 3-2 loss at home to Lubbock Christian (Feb. 21).  He has five outings of double-digit strikeouts this season.

In a matchup of two of the best offensive teams in the league and nationally, it was the pitching, which stood tall in the contest as the teams combined for eight hits and left a combined 18 stranded. WT tallied 19 strikeouts in the game, while ENMU countered with 17 K's. 

Kasowski allowed two hits, one earned run and walked five in a career-high 143 pitches.  ENMU starter, Scott Klein, went six innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs, walked four and fanned 11 as he fell to 4-2 on the year.  WT senior Justin McAllister earned his fourth save of the season for the Buffs, going 1.2 innings, allowing one hit and fanned two. 

Five different Buffs had a hit in the game, while senior Aaron Vallance went one for two in the nine hole with two RBI.  ENMU had three hits in the game as leadoff man Chris Padilla went one for five with a RBI.

In the second, the Buffs broke through as a senior John Baiada free pass got things started, followed by a senior Chad Brown single up the middle and a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third with two away.  Vallance singled down the right field line on a 1-0 count for a 2-0 lead. 

ENMU had its first true opportunity in the bottom of the third as a hit batsman, and walk put two on with runners in position, but Kasowski fanned the LSC's leading hitter Alex DeLaCruz to end the frame.  DeLaCruz entered the game hitting .479 and went one for four in the game.

The Buffs had a great chance in the seventh with a walk, wild pitch and error moving junior Bodie Bryan to third.  A second walk and second wild pitch move Vallance to second with nobody out.  The Greyhounds got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts and a fly out. 

Eastern New Mexico ended the no-hitter in the bottom of the inning with two outs and Padilla singled down the right field line with runners at the corners on a 3-2 count.  Kasowski got out of the inning without any further damage with a strikeout.  The Greyhounds then stranded two more in the eighth as McAllister relieved Kasowski with one out and two on base.  He got a fly out and a strikeout to end the threat.

WT returned the favor in the ninth and could have added insurance runs, but ENMU was up to the challenge with a final out strikeout after a Vallance walk and a junior Jimmy Cubillos single to center with two away. 

McAllister fanned his second batter of the game to begin the bottom of the ninth.  Following a single to center, Padilla grounded into a double play to end the game.