SAN ANGELO, Texas – The Buffaloes of West Texas A&M used a great pitching performance by Ryan Larison to take a 1-0 lead into the sixth inning but missed opportunities at the plate doomed WT as they ended their season with a 3-1 loss to Arkansas-Fort Smith in front of over 1,000 fans on a rainy afternoon at Foster Field in San Angelo, Texas during the 2017 NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament. WT ends their season with an overall record of 36-18 while the Lions advance to Championship Monday at 35-21 overall.
 
Jimmy Cubillos started off the game with a single to center field followed two batters later by a John Baiada single to right center to put Buffs on the corners with one out, Fort Smith responded to force a double play to end the inning. The Buffs took the lead in the top of the second inning as Chad Brown stayed hot at the plate with his second big fly of the weekend, this time a solo shot to left center to give WT the 1-0 lead.
 
Larison continued to roll in the bottom of the fifth inning as the junior went four and a third without allowing a hit before a single thru the left side with one out but the WT defense ended the inning with a strike 'em out and throw 'me out by John Baiada ended the inning with WT leading 1-0.
 
Fort Smith threatened in the home half of the sixth inning with a one out walk and a hit by pitch to put Lions at first and second, Blake Weaver saved a pair of runs with a diving grab in left center followed by a walk to load the bases before Kasey Cooper double to the left center field gap to score a pair and knock Larison from the game. Dominic Yearego entered and continued to dominate as the senior forced a grounder to Aaron Vallance at short to end the inning.
 
UAFS added to their lead in the bottom of the seventh as a WT error and single to left center put Lions on the corners with one out, the Lions got down a squeeze bunt to score the runner from third before Tate Huebner and Justin McAllister combined for the next two outs to send us to the eighth with the Lions leading 3-1.
 
Larison picked up the loss (4-3) for the Buffs, not allowing a hit thru the first four and a third before ending the game allowing two runs on two hits with two walks and six strikeouts in his 5.2 innings of work.