WICHITA FALLS, Texas – The #15 Lady Buffs of West Texas A&M plated five runs in the fifth inning and used another Kilee Halbert gem in the circle to take the opening game of a weekend Lone Star Conference series from the rival Mustangs of Midwestern State on Friday night at Mustang Park in Wichita Falls, Texas.
 
The Lady Buffs and Mustangs wrap-up their weekend series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch of a doubleheader scheduled for 2 p.m. at Mustang Park in Wichita Falls.
 
THE BASICS:
- Score: #15 West Texas A&M 12, Midwestern State 6
- Records: WT (24-5, 7-3 LSC) / MSU (11-12, 6-10 LSC)
- Location: Wichita Falls, Texas
- Venue: Mustang Park
 
HOW IT HAPPENENED:
The Lady Buffs got on the board in the top of the first inning as Suka Van Gurp singled up the middle with one out to score Kourtney Coveney followed later in the frame by a Shayne Starkey RBI single up the middle to plate Kylee Moore to run the WT lead to 2-0. The Mustangs responded in the home half of the inning as a pair of WT errors led to an RBI groundout by Samantha Loos before Kilee Halbert responded with a strikeout to end the inning with WT leading 2-1.
 
WT added to their lead in the top of the fourth inning as Ashley Hardin lifted as sac fly to center field to score Stevie McLemore, the Lady Buffs used the long ball to add to their lead in the top of the fifth inning as Shanna McBroom lifted a two-run bomb to left field followed later in the inning by RBI singled from McLemore and Hardin. McLemore scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-1.
 
Hailey Ward added to the Lady Buff lead in the top of the sixth inning with an RBI triple to right field as WT took a 9-1 advantage to the home half of the sixth inning, the Mustangs wouldn't go down without a fight as they fended off the run-rule with an RBI single up the middle by Caycee Griffin to cut the lead to 9-2. WT loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh before an infield fly to second, Starkey continued her good night with a sac fly to right field to score Coveney followed two batters later by a Ward two run single to run the lead to 12-2.
 
Midwestern State cut into the lead in the top of the seventh with three runs with no outs followed by an RBI groundout to make it 12-6, McLemore forced a popup to short for the second out of the inning followed by a foul out to Coveney at third base to end the game. Halbert picked up the win (11-4) for the Lady Buffs, allowing one run (unearned) on eight hits with no walks and four strikeouts in her five innings of work.