LUBBOCK, Texas – Three different Lady Buffs homered as West Texas A&M ended the LCU Invitational on a high note with a 9-8 victory over UC-Colorado Springs on Monday afternoon at Plainscapital Park in windy conditions. WT was scheduled to play hosts Lubbock Christian in the nightcap but the game was canceled due to 40-plus MPH winds in the area.
The Lady Buffs open Lone Star Conference play on Feb. 15-16 when they host Western New Mexico in a three-game series at Schaeffer Park. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.
THE BASICS
Score: West Texas A&M 9, UC-Colorado Springs 8
Records: West Texas A&M (5-4), UC-Colorado Springs (3-5)
Location: Lubbock, Texas
The Mountain Lions opened the scoring in the top of the first inning with three runs, two of those coming on a Lexi Andersen two-out single up the middle. WT got two back in the bottom half of the inning on Amelya Huggins' second home run of the season. The freshman sent the 0-2 offering over the fence in left center to make it 3-2 in favor of UCCS.
After a scoreless top of the second where Shayne Starkey forced three groundouts, the Lady Buffs went to work in the bottom half of the inning to take a 5-2 lead. Ruby Salzman lead the inning off with her second home run of the tournament to tie the game at 3-all. Shanna McBroom singled before moving to second as Erica Vessels was hit by a pitch. A double steal put runners on second and third with one out when Alyx Cordell continued her hot streak at the plate with a double to left field to clear the bases and give WT a 5-3 after two complete.
UCCS made it a one-run game, 5-4, in the top of the third inning Andersen's second double of the game to score Saleen Quinonez. WT's Miranda Grotenhuis would clear the bases in the bottom half of the inning with a two-out triple to right center in her first career at-bat in Maroon & White to score Vessels and McBroom and make it 7-4. The Mountain Lions would score two in the top of the fourth on a two-run home run from Rayle Glover off Kyra Lair.
Kylee Moore restored the Lady Buffs three-run in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run shot to left field. Huggins led the inning off with a five-pitch walk followed by the Van, Texas native's third home run of the season.
The visitors would add two more runs in the top of the sixth and had the go-ahead run on second but Lair struck out Sierra Batchelor swinging to end the inning and keep WT up 9-8. Coveney replaced Lair in the seventh and sat UCCS down in order to make it two straight wins for the Lady Buffs.
Starkey (2-1) earned the victory after allowing four runs (four earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk over in 3 innings. Lair came out of the bullpen allowing four runs (four earned) on five hits with four strikeouts over 3 innings with Coveney recording the final three outs of the game for her first save of the season.
