PORTALES, N.M. – The West Texas A&M softball team hit eight home runs on Saturday to defeat Eastern New Mexico 13-3 and 13-5 in Wednesday's doubleheader. The pair of victories improved the Lady Buffs' overall record to 26-4 with a 17-4 mark in Lone Star Conference play.
 
WT returns home on Saturday, March 25 when the Lady Buffs host Texas A&M-Kingsville. Action between the two schools starts at 4 p.m. on Saturday with a 6 p.m. contest to follow. Sunday's series finale is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Schaeffer Park.
 
THE BASICS
Game 29 Score: No. 20 West Texas A&M 13, Eastern New Mexico 3
Pitching: (W) Emilee Wilson (3-0); (L) Delia Smith (1-7)
 
After two outs to start the game, Emilee Boyer watched one pitch go by before launching a no doubter to right-center field. Eastern New Mexico retired the side following the solo shot, but that didn't stop the Lady Buffs from carrying their momentum into the second inning.
 
Back-to-back doubles by Madison Johnson and Lauren Granger to start the second plated a run. The two doubles forced an early Greyhound pitching change. After the change, Julie Guzman drew a walk and stole second, setting up runners on second and third with no outs. Megan Guericke nearly sent her third home run of the season but came up short as the left fielder made the catch. Guericke's deep flyout proved to be a productive out as Malaya Delfin came home to score. ENMU responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning when a leadoff double led to an RBI single down the left-field line.
 
In the third inning, Boyer sent another ball over the fence for her second home run of the game. After a Diana Murtha walk, Nikki Warren pinch ran for the Lady Buff third baseman. Warren subsequently stole second base before coming around to score on Johnson's double to right field. The Greyhounds stole a run back to lead off the bottom of the third when Mikenzey Patterson tripled into the gap. The throw into third base scooted away from the Lady Buffs, allowing Patterson to come home and score.  
 
The Lady Buffs started their rout of the Greyhounds in the fifth inning when Boyer sent her third home run of the game over the fence. Murtha followed up Boyer's blast with a solo shot of her own to stretch the advantage to 7-2. WT scored two more runs on a double by Brittni Rufus after Johnson singled and Granger walked earlier in the inning. In the home half of the fifth, ENMU plated its third and final run on a two-out RBI single.
 
WT put the game out of reach in the sixth when Ruby Salzman sent a home run over the fence. The Lady Buffs brought the run rule into effect when Granger singled up the middle with the bases loaded to score two runs. Riley Stiner capped the WT scoring after a double play with a single of her own to score Johnson from third.
 
THE BASICS
Game 30 Score: No. 20 West Texas A&M 13, Eastern New Mexico 5
Pitching: (W) Kyra Lair (10-1); (L) Emma Southerland (4-3)
 
Salzman started game two by taking a page out of Boyer's book in game one by sending a solo shot out of the park in the first inning. The Lady Buffs threatened to add more in the first inning, but a fielder's choice ended the side. Eastern New Mexico tied the game in the bottom of the inning when a leadoff walk came home to score on a two-out single.
 
WT regained the lead half an inning later when Guzman singled and advanced on Shyanne Sanchez's groundout. Rufus took a strike while at the plate before doubling home Guzman to bring the score to 2-1. After a scoreless third, Salzman added to her RBI total in the fourth as the senior grounded out with runners on second and third to plate the Lady Buffs' third run.
 
In the fifth inning, Gabriella Valforte doubled WT's run total with one swing of the bat. Murtha started the inning with a hit by pitch before being lifted for a pinch runner. Johnson followed with another double on the day to place runners at second and third with no outs, leading to Valforte's home run.
 
Eastern New Mexico brought the game within striking distance in the bottom of the sixth. A walk and back-to-back singles loaded the bases with no outs. Marissa Rodriguez changed the game as the Greyhound sent a grand slam out of the park to bring the Lady Buff lead down to 6-5. WT loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with a chance to add to its lead. Guzman did just that by hitting a single right back up the middle to bring home two more runs. After a bases-loaded walk, Boyer crushed her first-career grand slam in Maroon and White, extending the Lady Buff lead to 13-5.