PORTALES, N.M. – A strong pitching performance from West Texas A&M junior Noah Draper and an early 4-0 lead helped the Buffs to a 6-4 victory in the series finale at Eastern New Mexico on Sunday.  With the win, the Buffs improved to 21-5 overall and 3-1 in Lone Star Conference play, while ENMU fell to 22-8 and 1-3 in league play.

"All weekend it was a grind," WT head coach Matt Vanderburg said.  "Eastern New Mexico is a really talented team and this is probably the toughest place to go in the conference and win games.  We were not very good offensively this weekend as we struck out way to many times.  We weren't seeing the baseball very well, but we were able to find a way to win the series and I am proud of that."

The Buffs, ranked third nationally in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25, got all they could handle from the Greyhounds all weekend.  The Buffs struggled from the plate hitting just .242 for the series, but strong pitching and some clutch hits got the series win.  ENMU hit .243 for the series as the Greyhounds held a 13-12 lead in runs scored. 

The Buffs jumped on the board first as a leadoff walk to junior Jimmy Cubillos and a two out RBI double from junior Luis Amaro gave WT a 1-0 lead in the first on a very windy day at Greyhound Stadium.  In the second, WT plated three runs courtesy of walks and a hit batsman for a 4-0 lead as ENMU starter Bryce Welborn lasted one inning, walking five and fanning two and allowing four runs. 

WT had chances in the fourth and fifth with runners on, but were unable to get anything home leaving seven stranded through five innings.  However, WT junior hurler Noah Draper pitched five strong innings, allowing three hits, walked one and fanned six.

An error on WT began the bottom of the sixth and a single to right center put runners at the corners with nobody out.  Mike McNicholl hit a sacrifice bunt, plating a run for a 4-1 score.  Draper fanned his seventh and eighth of the game to get out of the jam with just the one unearned run. 

Amaro began the top of the seventh with a double to right and later scored on a senior Chad Brown bloop-single to center for a 5-1 lead.  Sophomore Dominic Yearego relieved Draper for the bottom of the seventh as Draper went six innings, allowing four hits, one unearned run, walked one and fanned eight throwing 99 pitches.

The Greyhounds began the bottom of the seventh with a single to through the left side from Paul Tapia.  After a wild pitch, Zach Shank doubled home a run for a 5-2 score as the Buffs relieved Yearego for junior Tate Huebner.  Two fly outs to center followed as Shank advanced to third with two away.  Alex DeLaCruz singled to right center on the first pitch for a RBI and a 5-3 WT lead.  Huebner got the third out sending the game to the eighth. 

A one out single by senior Aaron Vallance and an error moved him to second in the top of the eighth.  Cubillos singled home Vallance for a 6-3 lead, with a single up the middle as ENMU went to the bullpen once again. 

In the bottom of the frame, ENMU had a one out single.  Following a mound visit, Huebner battled back for a 2-2 count on Andrew Stubbs.  Huebner fanned Stubbs looking for the second out.  Tapia came up with his third hit of the game through the right side for runners at the corners.  WT made a call to the bullpen as senior Justin McAllister relieved Huebner.  Shank tallied his third hit of the day with a single to left for a 6-4 score.  McAllister fanned the next batter to get out of the inning, sending the game to the ninth. 

WT stranded a man at third in the ninth for the tenth left on in the game.  McAllister went for his third save of the series and sixth of the season in the bottom of the inning with the top of the order up for the Greyhounds.  McAllister retired leadoff hitter Chris Padilla on the first pitch.  DeLaCruz grounded out to second for the second out and a ground out to second ended the game.

Draper took the win as he improved to 1-0 on the year, while Welborn fell to 4-1 and McAllister picked up his sixth save of the season and third of the weekend.  WT had six runs on 11 hits with one error, while ENMU tallied four runs on ten hits with two errors. 

"Draper was really good today," Vanderburg said.  "With the wind blowing out and a big field like this, he set the tone for us," Vanderburg said. 

The Buffs had four players with two hits each as Canas was two for five with a double and a RBI, while Amaro went two for four with a double and a RBI.  ENMU had two players with three hits as Tapia was three for four with a run scored and Shank was three for four with a two RBI and a run scored.

WT returns home to host UT Permian Basin beginning at 6:30 p.m. Mar. 31 at Wilder Park in a four game series.