COMMERCE, Texas – Kyra Lair struck out a career-high 11 batters as No. 12 West Texas A&M defeated Texas A&M-Kingsville 9-1 in six innings on Thursday afternoon at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional in Commerce. The Lady Buffs advance to face No. 4 and top seed Oklahoma Christian on Friday, May 21. First pitch is set for Noon.

The Lady Buffs scored first on Erica Vessels' seventh home run of the season. With two outs, the senior sent the 2-1 offering from Lizette Del Angel over the fence in center for her sixth solo shot of the season. 

It was a 1-1 ballgame in the middle of the second as the Javelinas scored on a two-out double from Kayla Gonzales to score Loren Kelly, who had singled earlier in the inning. WT would retake the lead in the bottom half of the inning on a bunt single from Alyx Cordell. Ruby Salzman singled up the middle before reaching third on Vessels single to right field. Cordell would lay down a near perfect bunt that easily scored Salzman to make it 2-1. 

WT would add two more runs in the bottom of the fifth as Cordell added to her RBI total with another bunt single. Salzman reached for the second time in a single through the left side followed by her 30^th stolen base of the season. The sophomore would advance to third on Vessels' groundout to the shortstop before coming around to score on a bunt from Cordell. Malaya Delfin would replace Cordell on the base paths and score on Madison Johnson's single to right field. 

Lair reached double figures in strikeouts for the second time in her career with the opening out of the top of the sixth. She would set a career-high with her strike out of Anastasia Leibas for the second out before the Javelinas put runners on second and third on Matisen Onofrei's double. She would get out of the jam with a ground out to Natalie Rodriguez.

The Lady Buffs would explode for five runs in the bottom half of the inning, all of them coming with two outs. Shanna McBroom doubled to left center forcing a Javelina pitching change before coming around to score on Salzman's single to left. Vessels' single followed by Cordell's walk loaded the bases for Gabriella Valforte, who would double down the line in right field to drive in two more runs. Madison Johnson would end the game early with a laser to right to plate Valforte and Cordell. 

Lair picked up her 20^th win of the season scattering five hits for one run with two walks and 11 strikeouts. Johnson, Salzman and Vessels all went 3-for-4 from the plate driving in a combined five runs.