WICHITA FALLS, Texas – After powering its way past Midwestern State 10-1 in game one of today's doubleheader, the West Texas A&M softball team used a six-run seventh inning in game two to defeat the Mustangs, 8-3. The Lady Buffs improve their overall record to 17-1 overall, including 13 straight wins, and 9-0 in Lone Star Conference play.
 
The Lady Buffs return to the friendly confines of Schaeffer Park on Saturday, March 2 for a 1 p.m. doubleheader with Texas Woman's. Sunday will see the teams play a single game at 12 p.m.
 
THE BASICS
Game 1 Score: West Texas A&M 10, Midwestern State 1 (5 inn.)
Pitching: (W) Heidi Vortherms (8-0); (L) Elizabeth Uhl (1-5)
 
After leading off the game with a walk and advancing on a passed ball, Lauren Granger advanced to third on a fly out from Brittni Rufus. Although Emilee Boyer popped out to the second baseman, the ball floated just far enough to score Granger from third.
 
After a scoreless bottom of the first, Heaven Moreno led off the second with a hard hit to second where the Mustang defender couldn't handle it, allowing Moreno to reach. With one out in the inning, Megan Guericke walked and advanced on Emily Liskai's bunt single. With the bases loaded, Granger came up big as the sophomore lined a double down the left-field line to plate two. Two pitches later, WT scratched across another run as Liskai scored and Granger advanced on a passed ball. Brittni Rufus wasted no time bringing in Granger as the center fielder grounded out to second, extending the lead to 5-0.
 
Midwestern State attempted to score a run in the bottom of the third after Brianna Dominguez walked and moved to third on Camile Nunez's single. With no outs in the inning, Nunez took off from first where Booth threw down to Madison Johnson at second before quickly firing home to Booth. Just before the runner crossed the plate, Booth applied the tag to keep the Mustangs scoreless.
 
The Lady Buffs wouldn't go quietly in the fifth as Boyer started the inning with a single up the middle before being lifted for pinch-runner Kiley Avery. Murtha followed Boyer with a fielder's choice, but the throw to second ended up in right field to move Avery to third. Before the play ended, Murtha stole second putting two runners in scoring position for WT. On a 1-0 count, Johnson lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right field to move each runner up a base. Moreno followed Johnson's success with a sacrifice fly of her own to plate the Lady Buffs' second run in the inning and seventh of the game. Needing one run to bring the run-rule into effect, pinch-hitter Gabriella Valforte singled in pinch-runner Tatem Pendergraft from third. With two outs and two runners on, Granger belted her third double of the game into the gap to score two more.
 
Midwestern State scored its first and only run of game one in the bottom of the fifth as a leadoff walk advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. After a groundout to advance the runner, Allie Monroe tripled to left to score the run, but Ashley Mandell forced a foul out to Valforte at first to end the game.
 
THE BASICS
Game 2 Score: West Texas A&M 8, Midwestern State 3
Pitching: (W) Emilee Boyer (7-1); (L) Zoe Isom (0-2)
 
Unlike the first two games of the series, the Lady Buffs couldn't produce a run despite having two runners on base with one out in the first inning. In the bottom of the first, Midwestern State took their first lead of the series as a two-out walk came around to score on a double to the gap from Megan Ayala.
 
The Lady Buffs tied the game in the top of the third as Granger walked followed by a Rufus single. A Boyer walk loaded the bases where Murtha scored Avery, pinch-running for Granger in the inning, from third. The Mustangs escaped the inning when the Midwestern State third baseman snared a hard groundball off the bat of Johnson.
 
In the bottom half of the inning, a leadoff walk came around to score once again for the Mustangs. After the runner moved into scoring position, an error from the WT defense placed two on. On what looked to be a routine sacrifice bunt, the throw to the plate was too hot to handle as the ball went to the backstop and brought in a run. Another bunt looked to score a runner but Boyer's toss to Granger proved to be in time to cut down the runner.
 
Facing a one-run deficit once again, the Lady Buffs came back to the plate in the fifth looking to tie or take the lead. Granger started the inning with a single to left, but the throw from the left fielder into second was in time to catch the WT catcher. The next hitter, Rufus chopped a ball into the turf to beat out the throw easily. During Boyer's at-bat, Rufus stole second and advanced to third as the throw went wide. A few pitches later, Boyer scorched a single into left to allow Rufus to trot in and tie the game. After a walk from Murtha and single from Johnson to load the bases, the Mustangs turned a 1-2-3 double play to keep the game tied at two.
 
In the sixth inning, Guericke singled to right after a popout to second base. During Liskai's at-bat, Guericke swiped second before Liskai reached base on a walk. Granger joined the pair on the bases as the sophomore walked once again to bring up Rufus. Facing a one-out bases-loaded situation, the Mustangs escaped the inning thanks to great defense from the corner outfielders.
 
The momentum gained in the top of the sixth carried over to the bottom of the inning for Midwestern State. A leadoff single and stolen base put the go-ahead run in scoring position for the Mustangs. On what looked to be a clean sacrifice bunt, the umpire ruled the Midwestern State batter contacted the ball out of the batter's box, resulting in an out and returning the runner to second. The next batter, Mikey Dominguez, lined a ball into right where Liskai couldn't complete the catch as she hit the ground. Dominguez skirted to second, but, more importantly, the go-ahead run came in to score.
 
Needing a run to keep the game going, WT sent the 4-5-6 batters to the plate. On the ninth pitch of her at bat, Murtha connected with a ball and drove it over the left-center wall to tie the game. Following the home run, five consecutive walks from the Midwestern State pitching staff brought home the go-ahead and insurance runs for the Lady Buffs. After being down most of the game, back-to-back singles from Granger and Rufus pushed the advantage to 8-3.