CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M softball team defeated the Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds 7-3 at Schaeffer Park on Tuesday afternoon with the help of three home runs. After trailing by three, Lauren Granger powered a three-run home run in the fourth inning to give the Lady Buffs a lead they wouldn't relinquish. WT improves to 23-2 overall and 15-1 in Lone Star Conference play while the Greyhounds fall to 15-12 overall and 8-11 in league play.  
 
WT threatened to score in its first at bat as Brittni Rufus reached on an error with one out followed by a single from Emilee Boyer. Diana Murtha grounded into a fielder's choice where Eastern New Mexico erased Boyer on the play. Before the ball went dead, Murtha stole second to set up runners on second and third. The Greyhounds escaped the early jam with a strikeout. After the scoreless first inning, Eastern New Mexico started the inning with a bang as Samantha Gutierrez connected with a solo home run to center field. In the bottom half of the inning, Heaven Moreno started the inning with a single, reaching third in the inning before being left stranded.
 
The Greyhounds added to their lead in the top of the third as a lead-off single came around to score when the next batter ripped a triple into the right-center gap. An infield single set up runners on first and third where ENMU's Alondra Vasquez singled to center, scoring another run. A pair of outstanding defensive plays from Madison Johnson at short kept the Greyhounds off the board for the remainder of the inning, allowing WT to stay within striking distance.
 
The Lady Buffs cracked into the scoring column in the bottom of the fourth as a fielder's choice and a walk put runners on for WT with two outs. Emily Liskai snuck a single up the middle, allowing Moreno to race home and score the Lady Buffs' first run of the inning. After the lineup turned over, Granger powered a 1-1 pitch to left-center field for a three-run home run, putting WT in the driver's seat for the first time.
 
An inning later, the Lady Buffs broke the game open. Boyer started the inning with a single to center before exiting the game for pinch-runner Kiley Avery. After watching a ball go by, Murtha connected with a no-doubt-about-it two-run home run to left center field, extending the lead to 6-3. Johnson followed Murtha's home run with a home run of her own as the senior lifted a ball over the left-center wall.
 
The two big innings gave freshman pitcher Ashley Mandell more than enough run support to finish off the win, throwing 4.2 innings with three hits, two walks, and three strikeouts.
 
The Lady Buffs and Greyhounds finish the three-game set at Schaeffer Park tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.