COMMERCE, Texas – A slow start doomed the Lady Buffs as they saw their 15-game win streak come to an end on Saturday afternoon with a 10-5 loss to No. 10 Texas A&M-Commerce at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional. The two teams will face-off in a winner-take-all game beginning at 3:15 p.m. for a trip to the NCAA DII World Series in Denver, Colo.
The Lions scored eight runs on six hits in the top of the first inning to put the Lady Buffs in an early hole. They responded with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Shanna McBroom was hit by the first pitch that she saw followed her 34th stolen base of the season. She would advance to third on a wild pitch before coming around to score on a sac fly from Ruby Salzman to right field. A single from Erica Vessels and walks from Alyx Cordell and Gabriella Valforte loaded the bases from Madison Johnson. The freshman hit a grounder to short that allowed Vessels to score and make it 8-2.
Both teams would score in the third inning as Salzman scored for the first time in the game on Cordell's groundout to third. The Lions would load the bases with one out in the top of the fifth inning but Josey Nichols was able to retire Kuea Angilau and Alyssa LeBlanc to get out of the jam. Salzman would get a run back for the Lady Buffs in the bottom half of the inning with her 12th home run of the season.
Kimber Neal's two-out double pushed the Lions lead to 10-4 in the top of the seventh before the Lady Buffs put together a rally in the bottom half of the inning. McBroom scored for the second time in the game on Vessels single to right field with one out. LeBlanc was able to get the next two Lady Buffs to strike out swinging to force a winner-take-all matchup.
Emilee Wilson was saddled with the loss after allowing six runs on four hits and two walks in 1/3 innings of work. Sydney Greeson faced two batters before Nichols pitched a career-high 6 2/3 innings allowing two runs on six hits with a strikeout.