PORTALES, New Mexico – The #7 Lady Buffs connected on three homeruns including two by sophomore outfielder Brittany Cruz as they completed the Lone Star Conference sweep of Eastern New Mexico on Sunday afternoon on a cold and windy day in Portales, New Mexico in the regular season finale. The Lady Buffs improve to 40-9 (24-6 LSC) to reach the 40-win plateau for the fifth straight season while the Greyhounds ended their season at 20-36 (10-20 LSC) overall.
 
The Lady Buffs took advantage of an Eastern New Mexico error with two outs in the first inning as a dropped fly ball in center allowed Ashley Hardin to score from first base for the early 1-0 lead. The Greyhounds looked to tie the game in the home half of the first inning as they loaded the bases with two outs before Kilee Halbert registered a strikeout on a full-count offering to end the threat.
 
ENMU tied the game in the bottom of the second inning as a Lady Buff error with one out allowed Kylee Keller to score from second base before a double play line drive to Brittany Cruz in right field to end the inning tied at 1-1. The Lady Buffs used the long ball to retake the lead in the top of the third inning as Ashley Hardin connected on her 56^th career long ball to tie former WT standout Kim LeComte (2009-12) for third on the WT career list as the junior gave the Lady Buffs the 2-1 lead.
 
WT added to their lead in the top of the fourth inning as Cruz led off the frame with a solo blast to left center, Shea Ibrahim singled up the middle two batters later followed by a two-out walk to Hardin and a Kylee Moore RBI single thru the right side followed by an Allie Smith RBI single up the middle to run the lead to 5-1. WT wasn't done yet as Maddie Green singled to left field to score Moore and extend the Lady Buff lead to 6-1.
 
The Lady Buffs used the long ball again in the top of the fifth inning as Cruz led off the frame with a solo shot to center field, WT loaded the bases with one out followed by a Moore RBI single before ENMU forced an infield fly for the second out before a bases loaded RBI walk by Green to run the lead to 9-1
 
Halbert picked up the win (20-3) in the circle for the Lady Buffs, giving up one run on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts in her 4.0 innings of work while Kami Merrill closed out the game with a scoreless fifth. Halbert becomes just the third Lady Buff in history to register multiple 20 win-seasons in a career to join Marci Womack (2009-12) and Rita Hokianga (2014-15).
 
The Lady Buffs will travel to San Angelo, Texas next weekend to take part in the 2017 Lone Star Conference Championship at Mayer Field on the campus of Angelo State. WT has earned the second seed in the event and a bye in the quarterfinal round, the Lady Buffs will take on the winner of third seeded Cameron and sixth seeded Texas A&M-Commerce on Friday in San Angelo with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.

2017 LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Mayer Field, San Angelo, Texas

Friday, May 5
Game 1: Quarterfinal #1: (3) Cameron vs. (6) Texas A&M-Commerce, 11:00 a.m.
Game 2: Quarterfinal #2: (4) Texas Woman's vs. (5) Tarleton State, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Semifinal #1: Game 1 Winner vs. (2) West Texas A&M, 4:00 p.m.
Game 4: Semifinal #2: Game 2 Winner vs. (1) Angelo State, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 6
Game 5: Championship: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, 2:00 p.m.