CANYON, Texas – The #15 Buffaloes of West Texas A&M ended their 2022 campaign on Thursday in Grand Junction, Colorado as they fell to the St. Edward's Hilltoppers and the #10 Colorado Mesa Mavericks at The Diamond at Bus Bergman Sports Complex.
 
The Buffs close out the season at 39-19 overall as they made the program's eighth straight trip to the NCAA Division II Postseason which in the second longest streak in the South Central Region.
 
Game One
St. Edward's 16, West Texas A&M 5
 
The Buffs and Hilltoppers met for the seventh time this season as SEU started off the scoring in the top of the first with a pair of runs, WT answered in the bottom half as Ryan Johnson lifted a solo shot to left field to make it 2-1. Izaiah Madrid would squeeze home a run in the second followed by a three spot by the Buffs in the third with long balls from Adam Becker and Will Fuenning for the 5-4 lead.
 
The Toppers would plate six runs over the next two frames followed by six more in the final three innings to pick up the 16-5 win. Jack Eagan picked up the loss (7-4) for the Buffs, allowing seven earned runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts in his 3.1 innings of work.
 
Game Two
Colorado Mesa 5, West Texas A&M 3
 
The Mavericks jumped out to an early lead in the nightcap as Spencer Bramwell singled to right to plate Caleb Farmer followed by a Jordan Stubbings RBI double down the left field line for the 2-0 advantage. Haydn McGeary added to the CMU lead in the third with a solo shot to left followed later in the frame by a Chase Hamiton RBI single to make it 4-0.
 
The Buffs responded in the top of the fourth as Fuenning lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right field to score Eddy Savoie, the Mavs would take advantage of a wild pitch in the home half of the sixth to extend their lead to 5-1. WT wouldn't go down without a fight as Paul Wittmann singled thru the right side with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh to make it 5-3.
 
That's as close as the Buffs would get as Mesa's Cooper Vasquez retired the final six WT batters that came to the plate in a 5-3 decision. Nick Marshall picked up the loss (11-4) for the Buffs, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits with two walks and two strikeouts in his 5.0 frames.