SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The #15 Buffaloes of West Texas A&M have clinched the Lone Star Conference weekend series from the St. Mary's Rattlers following a Saturday afternoon doubleheader sweep at Dickson Stadium in San Antonio, Texas.
 
The Buffs and Rattlers conclude their LSC weekend series on Sunday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Dickson Stadium.
 
THE BASICS:
- Game One Score: #15 West Texas A&M 6, St. Mary's 4 (8 Innings)
- Game Two Score: #15 West Texas A&M 6, St. Mary's 3
- Records: WT (8-1, 8-1 LSC) / StMU (5-4, 5-4 LSC)
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
- Venue: Dickson Stadium
- Series (Streak): Buffs lead, 6-4 (W3)
 
GAME ONE RECAP:
The Buffs got on the board in the top of the fourth inning as Cade Engle singled thru the right side to leadoff the frame followed by a pair of stolen bases before WT took advantage of a Rattlers error with two outs as the Pampa product scored from third to make it 1-0.
 
The Rattlers responded in the home half of the fifth inning as Jake Mares singled with two outs to drive in Andrew Perez and tie the game at 1-1. Keone Givens started off the sixth with a leadoff walk before St. Mary's registered a pair of outs before Kyle Moos stepped to the plate as the senior lifted a two-run pinch-hit shot to left for his first homerun in Maroon & White to give WT the 3-1 lead.
 
St. Mary's cut into the lead in the bottom of the sixth as Jake Sims singled to third base to drive in Steven Wynn with one out before Zach Dixon ended the threat with his seventh and final strikeout of the game to send the teams to the final frame with WT leading 3-2. 
 
The Rattlers tied the game in the home half of the seventh inning a pinch-hitter Patrick Fennell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and one out to score Derek Mueller and tie the game at 3-3 before Cooper Harris entered from the bullpen and registered a pair of big outs with the bases loaded to send the game into extra innings.
 
WT took the lead again in the top of the eight as they loaded the bases with no outs followed by an RBI walk to Darius Carter, Moos singled up the middle to drive in a pair of runs and make it 6-3. The Rattlers wouldn't go down without a fight as they plated a run in the home half of the inning on a Keaton Milford RBI single before Harris forced a grounder back to the mound to end the game.
 
Dixon allowed just two earned runs on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in his six innings of work in a no-decision. Harris picked up his first victory (1-0) as a Buff, allowing one run on one hit with one walk and a pair of strikeouts over the last 1.2 frames.
 
GAME TWO RECAP:
The Buffs wasted little time getting on the board in the nightcap as Darius Carter singled thru the left side with one out in the top of the first inning to plate Cade Engle for the 1-0 advantage, the Rattlers tied up the game in the home half of the second as Mac Papini drove in Mitchell Caskey with an RBI single to make it 1-1.
 
Engle gave the Buffs the lead once again in the top of the third as the senior singled home Givens at 2-1. The Rattlers plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the third as Johnny Hernandez reached on a WT error that scored Ryan McGowen followed by a Caskey RBI single thru the right side to make it 4-3.
 
WT responded in the top of the fourth inning as Izaiah Madrid singled to right with one out to score Reese Patterson followed later in the frame by an Engle fielder's choice groundout that plated Mason Mays to give WT the 4-3 lead. The Buffs would add a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh with an RBI fielder's choice groundout by Carter followed by a Clay Koelzer pinch-hit RBI single to center to make it 6-3.
 
That proved to be more than enough for Noah Bartlett as the Randall High School product picked up his first victory (1-0) in Maroon & White, allowing no runs on one hit with one walk and four strikeout in his 4.1 innings of relief.