KINGSVILLE, Texas – The No. 25 West Texas A&M baseball team split a Lone Star Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at No. 21 Texas A&M-Kingsville as the Buffs won the opener 6-1 and TAMUK won the nightcap in extra-innings, 7-6.  WT leads the series 2-1 heading into tomorrow's finale at 1 p.m. at Nolan Ryan Field. 

No. 25 West Texas A&M 6, No. 21 Texas A&M-Kingsville 1 (Game 1)

In the opener, the Buffs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as junior Nick Canas hit a one out single, followed by a senior Troy LaBrie single and, following the second out, senior John Baiada singled home Canas.  Senior Chad Brown doubled home Baiada for a 2-0 lead. 

The Buffs added two more in the fifth as junior Luis Amaro singled down the right field line chasing TAMUK starter Preston Plovanich from the game.  Brown came up with his second RBI of the game with a single up the middle, plating Amaro and Baiada drove in his second run of the game for a 4-0 lead.  WT added another run in the sixth on an Amaro single to left and a run in the seventh with a sacrifice fly from junior Jimmy Cubillos for a 6-0 lead.

WT senior closer Justin McAllister relieved senior starter Joshua Payne for the seventh inning as a throwing error on a fielder's choice score the lone run for the Javelinas.  Payne (8-3) went six innings of shutout baseball, allowing six hits, one walk and he fanned five, while McAllister pitched one inning, allowing three hits and one unearned run.  

Offensively, the Buffs were led by Amaro, Baiada and Brown who each had two hits as Baiada and Brown each drove in two.  LaBrie scored a team-high two runs in the game.  Plovanich (6-2) went four innings, allowing seven hits, four earned runs, walked four and fanned two.  Pablo Hernandez had three hits in three at bats for the Javelinas.

No. 21 Texas A&M-Kingsville 7, No. 25 West Texas A&M 6 (10 Innings) (Game 2)

In the nightcap, WT got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth with the score tied at four as senior Tommy Garland relieved junior Phillip Muldrow during the frame, retiring two batters with an infield fly and a pop out to right to get out of the inning unscathed. 

In the 10^th, the Buffs had the top of the order up as Cubillos hit a bunt single and LaBrie singled to center.  Both runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch and junior Nelson Paredes belted a two RBI single to center for a 6-4 score.

In the bottom of the frame, McAllister came on for the save, but TAMUK had other ideas as it had the top of the order up, too.  A single to right center began the frame, followed by a fielder's choice, but an error on the Buffs put Jimmy Roche at second with one out.  Christian Caudle singled up the middle, plating Roche for a 6-5 score and Hernandez singled, plating a run on the second miscue by the Buffs in the frame, tying the game at six.  Following the second out, McAllister intentionally walked Hunter Perkins to load the bases for the force at any bag.  Hunter Lehman came up with a walk-off RBI single through the left side on a 1-1 count for the 7-6 TAMUK win.  It marked the first extra-inning game of the season for WT.

For the game WT had six runs on 10 hits with two costly errors, while TAMUK had seven runs on 13 hits with one error.  LaBrie went 2 for 5 in the nightcap with a run scored, while Paredes was 2 for 2 with two RBI and a run scored.  Junior Ryan Larison began the game for the Buffs, going 3.1 innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs, walked five and fanned four.  McAllister (1-4) took the loss in 0.2 innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs and walked one. 

For the Javelinas, Alex Gonzalez and Lehman each had three hits in the nightcap as Lehman went 3 for 6 with two RBI, including the game-winner.  Isaiah Lybarger went 5.2 innings, allowing five hits, four runs – three earned, walked one and fanned seven in a no decision.  Tyler Crouch, who came in for the final out of the top of the 10^th after WT took the 6-4 lead, earned the win improving to 2-1 on the year.

Cubillos began the game reaching on an error later scoring in the first on a ground out to second from Canas.  TAMUK answered with a run in the bottom of the frame as Levi Zents singled home Roche for a 1-1 score.

In the third, WT regained the lead with a leadoff home run from sophomore Blake Weaver, marking his third round-tripper of the season.  TAMUK answered once again in the bottom of the inning as Perkins doubled down the left field line for a 2-2 score. 

TAMUK took a 4-2 lead with runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Buffs responded to tie the game in the sixth as Amaro doubled to center with two out and Brown hit a RBI single.  Junior Bodie Bryan doubled home a run for a 4-4 score where the game would stay until the 10^th inning.