HOUSTON, Texas – West Texas A&M senior third baseman Kourtney Coveney drove in five runs with two home runs as the Lady Buffs opened the 2019 season 2-0 with wins over Washburn and #25 Augustana on Friday at the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational.
THE BASICS
Game 1 Score: West Texas A&M 9, Washburn 2
Records: West Texas A&M (1-0), Washburn (0-1)
Location: Houston, Texas
Kourtney Coveney got the Lady Buffs on the board in the top of the first inning with a solo home run to left field on a full count. The Lady Buffs added to their lead the following inning when they loaded the bases with one out. Following walks to Erica Vessels, Alyx Cordell and Shayne Starkey to load the bases, Coveney was hit by a pitch to plate Vesels and make it 2-0.
Washburn responded in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run home run with no outs.The Lady Buffs retook the lead in the top of the fifth on a RBI single to left field by Brittany Cruz. Shanna McBroom led the inning off with a walk before stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch. Ruby Salzman added to the lead an inning later with a home run to center field on a 0-2 count.
WT broke the game wide open in the top of the seventh scoring five runs on three hits and one error. Cruz led off with a double followed by a walk by pinch hitter Mari Ruiz. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch before Cruz came around to score on a fielder's choice that put runners on second and third with one out. Following a wild pitch that plated Ruiz, Starkey doubled to left center for his first RBI of the season. Coveney followed that up with her second long ball of the game to stretch the lead to seven runs, 9-2.
Kyra Lair (1-0) picked up the win in her first career start as the freshman allowed two runs (two earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks over 4.0 innings of work. Starkey picked up the save after going 3.0 innings allowing two hits while striking out two.
THE BASICS
Game 2 Score: #11 West Texas A&M 5, #25 Augustana 4
Records: West Texas A&M (2-0), #25 Augustana (1-1)
Location: Houston, Texas
The Vikings opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning with four runs, three of those coming on a home run with two outs. It didn't take long for WT to respond as Amelya Huggins led the top of the fourth inning off with a walk before advancing to second on a one out single by Vessels. Cordell was the next batter up and ripped a double to left center to cut the deficit in half.
After going down in order in the fifth, WT responded with three runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 5-4 lead on a sacrifice fly to right by Coveney. Cruz led the inning off with a single followed by a four-pitch walk by Vessels. Following a fielder's choice that saw Vessels record the first out at second, Starkey tripled to center to clear the bases and tie the game. On the next pitch, Coveney would put one deep enough to plate Starkey and give WT their first lead of the game.
Starkey (1-0) then proceeded to retire the next six Viking batters she faced to pick up her first win of the season. The Denton, Texas native allowed four runs (four earned) on five hits while striking out six with no walks.
UP NEXT
WT returns to action at the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational tomorrow, Feb. 2, with games against Minnesota Duluth (10:30 a.m.) and Central Oklahoma (3:30 p.m.).
