LOS LUNAS, N.M. – The West Texas A&M softball team started their 2023 season with wins over Adams State and New Mexico Highlands South Central Regional Challenge in Los Lunas, N.M. The Lady Buffs defeated ASU 13-4 in the opener before cruising past NMHU, 7-0.
 
WT (2-0) faces off against Fort Lewis tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 10 a.m. Central followed by a 12 p.m. game with CSU Pueblo.
 
THE BASICS
Game 1 Score: West Texas A&M 13, Adams State 4
Pitching: (W) Heidi Vortherms (1-0); (L) Jade Garbiso (0-1)
 
The Lady Buffs started the season with a bang, exploding for four runs in the top of the first inning against the Grizzlies. Madison Johnson walked to lead off the game before Ruby Salzman walked. Following a flyout, Johnson and Salzman executed a double steal to move into scoring position. Lauren Granger drew a two-out walk to load the bases for Gabriella Valforte. Valforte came through for WT with a bases-clearing double. Julie Guzman followed with a double of her own along with a Gabie McConnell single to force a pitching change. Following the change, Brittni Rufus singled to bring in the Lady Buffs' sixth run of the inning. The Grizzlies scratched across a run in the bottom of the first inning to cut the WT lead down to five, but the run was all Adams State could muster.
 
In the top of the second inning, Emilee Boyer led off the batting order as the freshman sent her first collegiate home run over the fence to restore the six-difference. Following Boyer's solo shot, both teams went scoreless until the sixth inning. With one out, Salzman singled and swiped second base before advancing to third on Boyer's groundout. With Salzman on third, Murtha drove her in on an RBI single to center field, putting the Lady Buffs up 8-2.
 
In the home half of the sixth, Adams State took advantage of a fielder's choice and a wild pitch to score two runs. Going into the final inning, the Lady Buffs found the offense once more as Valforte reached on an error to lead off the inning to set up Guzman's first homerun of the season to put WT up 10-4. The Lady Buffs weren't finished scoring as McConnell walked after Guzman's homerun. After a stolen base and a pair of outs, back-to-back doubles by Salzman and Boyer plated two more. WT scored its final run of the game on Maddie Geidel's RBI single to center, scoring Nikki Warren from third.
 
THE BASICS
Game 2 Score: West Texas A&M 7, New Mexico Highlands 0
Pitching: (W) Emilee Wilson (1-0); (L) Arianna Ramirez (0-1)
 
Against the Cowgirls, the Lady Buffs used the long ball to jump out quickly. With one out, Salzman cranked another homerun followed by a walk by Boyer and a two-run shot by Murtha. The runs held until the top of the third where Murtha's groundout scored Malaya Delfin.
 
In the top of the fifth, Murtha sent her second homerun into the New Mexico night and extended the WT lead to 5-0. The Lady Buffs added another run an inning later as McConnell lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Guzman. In WT's final inning, Salzman matched Murtha's two homeruns with a solo shot to lead off the inning.  The Lady Buffs threatened to put more on the board, but an NMHU double play ended the WT side.