CANYON, Texas – The No. 6 Lady Buffs of West Texas A&M defeated No. 9 Texas A&M-Kingsville twice on Sunday afternoon at Schaeffer Park to finish the weekend 4-0 while moving to 18-7 on the season and 7-5 in LSC play. 
 
WT will hit the road to take on St. Edward's on Friday, March 25, in Austin before heading to San Antonio for a Top 25 matchup with No. 23 St. Mary's on Sunday, March 27.
 
THE BASICS
Game 24 Score: #6 West Texas A&M 8, #9 Texas A&M-Kingsville 7
Records:  West Texas A&M (17-7, 6-5 LSC), Texas A&M Kingsville (24-4, 8-3 LSC)
Pitching: (W) Kyra Lair (1-0); (L) Beth Montes (9-2)
 
After a 1-2-3 top inning, the Lady Buffs opened scoring for the 19^th time of the season after jumping out to a 1-0 lead.  Brittni Rufus took advantage of a throwing error to move into scoring position before Diana Murtha hit a shot off the left field wall to score Rufus from second.  
 
Texas A&M-Kingsville evened the score a 1-all in the third after loading the bases before a hit-by-pitch brought a run across the plate.  Rufus beat out the throw to before capitalizing on a throwing error and passed ball to move to third.  Pinch runner Malaya Delfin attempted to steal second and drew the throw that went past the base for Rufus to easily score to take back the lead, 2-1. 
  
Catcher Braeland Booth hit through the 5-6 hole before Ruby Salzman landed a single in center to position runners on first and second to bring Rufus to the plate.  The Mansfield, Texas product tapped a 0-2 pitch deep and out in left field to clear the bases for the 3-run homer. 
 
In the sixth, Gabriella Valforte added two runs to the board when the sophomore launched her 14^th career home run into left field to make it a 7-1 ball game. 
 
The lead was short lived as the Javelinas evened the score at 7-all in the top of the seventh.  TAMUK chipped awau at the Lady Buffs lead with an RBI grounder before taking advantage of a fielding error to bring the score within three.  Aaliyah Ortiz hit a two-run bomb into left field to cut the lead to one until pinch hitter Rylee Oborski's double locked the score, 7-7.  
 
With two outs, WT made a pitching change to bring junior Kyra Lair to the circle.  The Canyon native struck used eight pitches to strikeout the batter to bring the Lady Buffs back to the plate. 
 
Megan Guericke walked to lead off the bottom before advancing to third on a throwing error from the catcher to position runners on first and third.  The Javelinas loaded the bases to bring Valforte to the plate.  The sophomore drove a 2-2 pitch into left field to give the Lady Buffs the walkoff victory.
 
Lair was rewarded her first victory of the season as the final pitcher on the mound while Beth Montes (9-2) was credited the loss allowing two runs (two earned) on three hits with two strikeouts. 
 
THE BASICS
Game 25 Score: #6 West Texas A&M 8, #9 Texas A&M-Kingsville 2
Records:  West Texas A&M (18-7, 7-5 LSC), Texas A&M Kingsville (24-5, 8-4 LSC)
Pitching: (W) Kyra Lair (2-0); (L) Saidi Castillo (6-2); (S) Emilee Wilson (1)
 
The Lady Buffs led off with a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Gabriella Valforte hit a grounder to short to score Brittni Rufus from third before Matisen Onofrei hit a solo homer into left to level the score, 1-1. Valforte added another run to the board with an RBI grounder to second but the Javelinas would even the score 2-all in the top of the fourth. 
 
WT would take control of the game in the bottom of the inning as Julie Guzman laid down a bunt to the mound before the pitcher overthrew the second baseman to bring Madison Johnson around the bases to take the lead, taking a 5-2 lead.
 
Guzman would make her way across the plate on an RBI grounder to first from Megan Guericke to bring pinch hitter Braeland Booth up to bat.  The Wichita, Kan. product laid down the bunt in front of the catcher for Malaya Delfin to come sliding into home for the perfectly executed squeeze play. 
 
Kyra Lair (2-0) was rewarded the victory on the mound allowing two runs (two earned) on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts through four innings while Emilee Wilson earned her first save of the season.  Saidi Castillo was credited the loss allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits with one walk and two strikeouts.