CANYON, Texas – The Buffaloes of West Texas A&M started off the 2024 campaign with a Lone Star Conference sweep of the Texas A&M International Dustdevils as a walkoff RBI single by Kyle Micklus in the ninth inning gave the Buffs a 5-4 win at Wilder Park in Canyon.
 
The Buffs got on the board in the home half of the second inning as Josh Zapata singled to right field with two outs to plate Dylan Fesperman followed by a first-and-third play executed by Rodric Black to make it 2-0. WT added to their lead in the third as Micklus scored from third on a wild pitch with two outs.
 
The Dustdevils used the long ball to tie up the game in the top of the fourth as Cameron Yeldell connected on his second home run of the weekend, this time a three-run shot to right. TAMIU took their first lead of the afternoon in the sixth as Joseph Cruz started the frame with a solo shot the other way to make it 4-3.
 
WT looked to tie up the game in the home half of the seventh as Black doubled down the right field line with one out but a pair of groundouts stranded the tying run on third headed to the eighth inning. 
 
WT had another prime opportunity in the eighth as Ryan Camacho was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a balk with one out, Kory Schmidt and Seth Ochoa would draw walks to load the bases before a Fesperman free pass tied up the game at 4-4. TAMIU would get out of the jam the next batter with a double-play ground ball to second to end the inning.
 
The Buffs would win the game in the bottom of the ninth as Zapata doubled to right with one out followed two batters later by a Micklus RBI single to right field for the 5-4 victory. Reese Miller picked up the win (1-0) for the Buffs, allowing no runs on one hit with no walks and a strikeout in his one inning of relief. 
 
The Buffs hit the road and head to South Texas next weekend for a four-game Lone Star Conference series with the Javelinas of Texas A&M-Kingsville beginning on Friday afternoon with first pitch set for 3:00 p.m. at Nolan Ryan Field.