CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M softball team used a dramatic walk off against St. Mary's in game one of Friday's doubleheader and a shutout in game two to secure yet another Lone Star Conference series. The Lady Buffs won Friday's games 7-6 and 4-0 to move to 29-3 overall and 21-2 in league play.
 
The Lady Buffs and Rattlers finish the series tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.
 
THE BASICS
Game 1 Score: West Texas A&M 7, St. Mary's 6
Pitching: (W) Emilee Boyer (13-1); (L) Madeline Bloom (3-5)
 
WT struck first in the bottom of the first as Brittni Rufus beat out an infield single with one out. During Emilee Boyer's at-bat, Rufus put herself in scoring position after stealing second base. The stolen base proved to be instrumental in the Lady Buffs' inning as Boyer put connected with a hard grounder to shortstop. The St. Mary's shortstop couldn't handle the ball as it deflected and skipped away. With Rufus' speed, the senior outfielder easily came around to score from second.
 
After three scoreless innings, the Rattlers threatened to score in the top of the fifth. With two outs in the inning, a single to center and a hit batter put runners on first and second. After the count ran full, Boyer forced a strikeout from the St. Mary's no. 9 batter to get out of the inning.
 
The Rattlers broke through an inning later as a leadoff single came around to score. With no outs, St. Mary's right fielder Mackenzie Dugi laid down a sacrifice bunt to third. The throw to first beat the runner, but the WT defense left third open. On the Lady Buffs' attempt to throw the runner out at third, the throw went wide, allowing the runner to score and tie the game.
 
In the top of the seventh, a hit batter and sacrifice bunt put the go-ahead run in scoring position. After a single to right, St. Mary's belted another single to third base where the ball deflected off Diana Murtha, scoring a run. The single sparked the Rattler offense as a two-out walk loaded the bases. An infield chopper left the Lady Buffs without a play to bring home a run. A batter later, St. Mary's lined a double into the gap to clear the bases and take a 6-1 lead into the last frame.
 
In the home half of the inning, Murtha started the comeback with a single to right field before Madison Johnson grounded out to third. With Murtha on second, a single to right followed by a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for WT. St. Mary's looked to escape with the game one win as Braeland Booth struck out. Down to their last out, Lauren Granger lined a single into right, scoring two and bringing the Rattler lead down to two. With two on and two out, Rufus lined a triple into the left-center gap. As Rufus slid into third, the throw to the infield went to the wall, allowing Rufus to come home and win the game.
 
THE BASICS
Game 2 Score: West Texas A&M 4, St. Mary's 0
Pitching: (W) Ashley Mandell (5-0); (L) Breanna Ford (6-4)
 
Like the first game, the Lady Buffs started the scoring in their first at bat. Granger hit a one-hopper to second, but the second baseman dropped the ball, allowing Granger to reach. After Rufus advanced Granger on a ground out, Boyer lifted a fly ball to right. Granger tagged up on the play, but the throw to third skipped in, bringing Granger into score.
 
WT brought in two more runs in the bottom of the third as Megan Guericke led off the inning with a double in the gap before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt. While at third, Guericke was lifted for pinch-runner Kiley Avery. The Lady Buffs wasted no time in bringing in Avery as Granger singled into left on the first pitch she saw. Following a Rufus single, a four-pitch walk from Boyer loaded the bases with one out. Mutha worked a four-pitch walk of her own, bringing home pinch-runner Halie Stoneking.
 
WT capped the scoring in the bottom of the fifth as a Granger double and Rufus walk set up a Boyer sacrifice. Murtha brought home Granger on a 3-0 count when the senior popped a ball to second base. Although the ball barely left the infield, Granger successfully tagged and scored, finishing the scoring at 4-0.
 
Ashley Mandell earned the win for game two after throwing 4.1 scoreless innings and just three hits allowed.