CANYON, Texas – The #2 Buffaloes of West Texas A&M battled back for a victory in Saturday's opener before falling just short in the nightcap during Lone Star Conference action against the UT Tyler Patriots at Wilder Park in Canyon.
 
The Buffs look to salvage a series split tomorrow afternoon as the first pitch of the finale is set for 1 p.m. in Canyon.
 
GAME ONE
The teams traded runs in the opening frame as UTT executed a first-and-third play with two outs before the Buffs responded in the home half with an Adam Becker RBI single thru the right side to score Ryan Johnson and tie the game at 1-1.
 
The Patriots took the lead again in the top of the second as Carson Cox lifted a grand slam to straight away center field followed later in the frame by a Kyle McShaffry RBI double to the gap in left center to make it 6-1.
 
The Buffs responded in the home half as Eddy Savoie doubled to the right center field gap with two outs to score Paul Wittmann and cut the lead to 6-2. UTT used the long ball again in the third with a Jordan Gochenour two-run shot to right center for the 8-2 lead.
 
WT answered with a big inning of their own with seven runs highlighted by a Becker two-run blast to left as the Buffs took a 9-8 lead. UTT tied the game in the top of the fourth on a Lukas Polanco double off of the left field wall followed by a Tommy van de Sanden sac fly to center and a Gochenhour RBI single to make it 11-9 as the Buffs made a move to the pen, A.G, Ayala entered and shut down the threat to keep it at 11-9.
 
UTT added to their lead in the top of the fifth as McShaffry singled thru the right side with one out to extend the lead to 12-9. The Buffs cut into the lead in the home half of the fifth as Becker singled to left to drive in Savoie and Johnson to cut the lead to 12-11. The Patriots would score their final run of the game in the top of the sixth on a Riley Lambert RBI double for the 13-11 lead.
 
The Buffs took the lead for the final time in the home half of the sixth as a Bryant Bailey two-run single to the gap in right center tied it up followed by a UTT error in the outfield with two outs that plated two more and gave WT the 15-13 lead.
 
Chris Rodriguez picked up the win (1-0) for the Buffs, allowing one earned run on two hits with no walks and two strikeouts in his 1.2 innings of relief. Reese Miller claimed his second save, sitting the Patriots down in order in the seventh for the win.
 
GAME TWO
The Patriots jumped out to an early lead in the nightcap with eight hits during the first two frames including four of those going for extra bases for the 7-0 lead. The Buffs got on the board in the bottom of the second with a Bailey RBI groundout followed by a Savoie two-run double down the right field line to make it 7-3.
 
UTT would add to their lead with single runs in the top of the fifth and sixth to make it 9-3. The Buffs wouldn't go down without a fight in the home half of the seventh as Becker singled up the middle with the bases loaded to drive in two followed by a Will Fuenning RBI single to cut the lead to 9-6, a Patriot error would keep hopes alive but a fly ball to the warning track in center ended the game.
 
Jack Eagan (3-1) picked up the loss on the mound for the Buffs, allowing six earned runs on five hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts in his 1.2 innings of work.