CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M scored five runs in the first inning and senior Joshua Payne pitched another gem as the Buffs defeated UT Permian Basin 7-1 in cold, windy conditions on Saturday afternoon at David & Myrt Wilder Park in Canyon. The weather played a role as neither team got an extra base hit as the Buffs went 8-for-28 at the plate while Payne improved to 6-1 on the season. The Buffs improve to 23-5 overall and 5-1 in Lone Star Conference play with the win while the Falcons drop to 7-19 and 0-2 in LSC play.
The Buffs and Falcons will finish the four-game series tomorrow, Sunday, with a double header scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
The Buffs jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Aaron Vallance and Nick Canas reached base on four pitch walks to put runners on first and second with no outs. Adam Adkins laid down a bunt down the third base line to advance the runners to second and third before Troy LaBrie drove in the first run of the game with a hit over the outreached hands of the UTPB shortstop as Canas moved over to third. John Baiada loaded the bases with a single to the third baseman on a 3-2 count. Chad Brown's single cleared the bases as the Falcon right fielder had trouble handling the ball as it traveled to the wall plating all three runners and advancing Brown to third base. Nelson Paredes then hit a sacrifice fly to the center field to plate Brown to bring home the f fifth run of the inning.
The Falcons got one back in the top of the third after Chris Ortega led off with a triple to the right field followed with a single to the right side by Doug Clapperton. Payne ended the threat as he proceeded to strike out the next two batters swinging bringing his total to six through three innings.
Payne got himself out of another jam in the top of the fourth after the first two runners reached base but much like the inning before he struck out to bottom of the order to end the threat.
The Buffs made it 6-1 in the bottom of the sixth as Blake Weaver came around to score on a wild pitch after reaching base on a hit by a pitch. Bryan first reached base on a single to short that was followed with an error on the same play that advanced him to second. Weaver's hit by pitch put runners at second and first with one out before Bryan got caught stealing. Weaver went from first to third on a single from Vallance before coming home to score on the next pitch.
The Buffs added a final run in the bottom of the eighth as Paredes came around to score on a single to center field from Blake Weaver. Paredes originally reached base on an error from the UTPB right fielder putting him on second with no outs. Bodie Bryan moved him over to third with a sac bunt to the pitcher before Weaver sent one up the middle. Weaver stole his fourth bag of the game to reach second. Canas recorded the final out on a grounder to second as the junior saw his 23 game hit streak come to an end. Eli Fultz came in and pitched a scoreless ninth in just his sixth appearance for the Buffs this season.
