CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M softball continued its winning streak on Saturday, registering wins over Colorado Mesas and Fort Lewis. In the first game, the Lady Buffs exploded for nine runs in the third inning to carry them to an 11-2 win. In the nightcap, the Skyhawks held WT close for three innings until a five-run fourth put the Lady Buffs in the driver's seat.
 
WT (8-0) wraps up the WT Invitational with a 1:30 game against New Mexico Highlands.
 
THE BASICS
Game 7 Score: West Texas A&M 11, Colorado Mesa 3
Pitching: (W) Kyra Lair (1-0); (L) Kennedy Vis (0-2)
 
Colorado Mesa started the game against WT looking for revenge after the Lady Buffs defeated the Mavericks 2-1 yesterday in the opening game of the WT Invitational. Aislyn Sharp started the inning with a double to right center. The next batter, Myah Arrieta, put a ball in play and advanced to second on a pair of Lady Buff errors, scoring Sharp. The lead didn't last long as Gabie McConnell doubled in Julie Guzman to tie the game at one.
 
The top of the third inning created a separation WT wouldn't surrender. Back-to-back doubles by Madison Johnson and Ruby Salzman gave the Lady Buffs the lead and started a streak of 10 straight WT hitters to reach base. Gabriella Valforte brought home a run on a single with the bases loaded followed by a bases-clearing double by Shyanne Sanchez. After a pitching change, Julie Guzman sent the first pitch she saw out of Schaeffer Park, expanding the lead to 7-1. Following singles by McConnell and Rufus, Johnson singled home McConnell. Salzman added to the hit total with a single of her own, bringing the WT lead to 9-1. Johnson completed her turn on the bases after an errant throw by the catcher found its way into center field. The Mavericks eventually escaped the inning by retiring the next two batters.
 
Colorado Mesa's Rylee Couch brought home the Mavericks' second run of the game after a single and an error in the bottom of the third. WT matched the run on Valforte's homerun on the first pitch off new pitcher Marisa Nehm.
 
Facing a nine-run deficit, the Mavericks scratched a run across in the bottom of the fifth, but Colorado Mesa ran out of outs before they could continue the game.
 
THE BASICS
Game 8 Score: West Texas A&M 9, CSU Pueblo 4
Pitching: (W) Emilee Boyer (4-0); (L) Caydee Farnworth (0-2)
 
Both teams started the day's final game by going scoreless in their first at-bats. WT opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning on Guzman's sacrifice fly which scored Lauren Granger. Fort Lewis stole the momentum and silenced WT's home crowd in the top of the third with a two-out two-run home run.
The Skyhawks appeared to have escaped danger and stranded runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sanchez reignited the Lady Buff faithful with a double down the left-field line, scoring the go-ahead run. Megan Guerick followed Sanchez's double by reaching on an error and scoring the run. Johnson capped off the inning with a big two-run blast of her own to give WT a 6-2 lead.
 
In the top of the fifth, Caydee Farnworth started the inning with a homerun to cut the lead down to three. The score stayed the same until the sixth where an RBI single from Madyson Devers brought the game to 6-4.
 
The Lady Buffs put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth after Ruby Moore singled and advanced to second on an error. Moore came home on the next batter as Guericke singled her in. After a double by Salzman moved Guericke to third, Emilee Boyer singled to left to score Guericke. On the same play, the Fort Lewis left fielder misplayed the ball, allowing Salzman to score and Boyer to move to second base.
 
Coming out of the bullpen, Emma Parrish sat the Skyhawks down in order to register the lady Buffs' eighth win.