CANYON, Texas – The #16 Buffaloes of West Texas scored six unanswered runs on Sunday afternoon to beat Tarleton State, 6-1, to earn a four-game series split with the Texans in front of 175 fans at Wilder Park. Noah Draper improved to 2-0 on the season as the junior went six and two thirds giving up four hits and one earned while striking out 10. John Baiada went 2-for-4 from the plate including a home run in the sixth inning that gave the Buffs their first lead of the game. With the win, the Buffs improve to 29-11 and 10-4 in Lone Star Conference play while the Texans fall to 25-19 and 8-11 in the LSC.
The Buffs will head on the road for a four-game series against league leading Texas A&M-Kinsgville starting next Thursday, April 27.
The Texans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a one single up the middle by Jake Hasbrouck to plate Francisco Rodriguez from second. The Buffs squandered an opportunity to tie the game in the bottom half of the game after Jimmy Cubillos led off with a double up the middle. Nick Canas put runners on first and second with no outs after a walk. Cubillos nearly came around to score on a single to right field from Luis Amaro but was thrown out at home.
After a shaky first inning, Draper found his groove as she struck out five over the next four innings including retiring 11 straight batters at one point.
The Buffs tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth when Chad Brown came around to score on an error from the TSU shortstop. Brown started the inning with a single to right center before moving over to second when Bodie Bryan was hit by a pitch on his hand. Aaron Vallance moved the runners over to third and second with a sac bunt to the left side. Brown came around to score on an error on a hard hit ball from Cubillos putting runners at first and third with one out. Canas flied out to left field on a 0-1 count as Bryan was controversial called out for leaving early to end the inning.
Baiada gave WT their first lead of the game, 2-1, in the bottom of the sixth with an opposite field home run to right center. It was the first home run hit by a Buff this series and the third of the season for the senior from Point Saint Lucie, Fla.
Tate Huebner relieved Draper in the top of the seventh and proceeded to get the Buffs out of a two out bases loaded jam. The junior right-hander got Jose Reyes to ground out to the shortstop on a 0-1 pitch to preserve the Buffs one run lead.
The Buffs proceeded to blow the game wide open in the bottom half of the inning with four runs on two hits. Troy LaBrie drove in the first run of the inning with a bases loaded walk on a full count to plate Vallance. Amaro brought home two more runs at the next at-bat with a single to left field to plate Cubillos and Canas. Pinch hitter Christian Loya loaded the bases with two out after picking up a walk. Brown picked up his first RBI of the game with a full count walk to plate LaBrie making it 6-1.
Justin McAllister pitched a perfect top half of the ninth fanning all three batters he faced as the Buffs combined to strike out 15 Texans.
