LAWTON, Okla. – The West Texas A&M softball team split its Friday evening doubleheader with the Cameron Aggies. The Lady Buffs slugged their way to a six-inning run-rule victory in game one before a late home run proved to be the difference in an Aggies' win in game two.
WT (42-5, 34-4LSC) and Cameron (28-20, 20-18 LSC) return to McMahon Field tomorrow, weather pending, at 1 p.m. for the series finale.
THE BASICS
Game 1 Score: West Texas A&M 10, Cameron 1 (6 Inn.)
Pitching: (W)
Emilee Boyer (19-1); (L) Tinlye Schmidgall (4-5)
WT wasted no time getting on the score board as
Brittni Rufus started the scoring. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Rufus powered an opposite field shot over the fence for a 1-0 lead. Cameron escaped the inning without further damage after the home run, but the Lady Buffs carried a lead into the bottom of the first.
In the second inning, WT added to its lead as
Madison Johnson started the inning with a solo home run to left. A pair of walks put runners on the bases, but the Aggies ended the inning before additional runs crossed the plate.
The Lady Buffs made it three straight innings with a run as
Emilee Boyer singled with two ours before advancing to second on an error. A
Diana Murtha walk set up an RBI single from Johnson to extend the lead. After a Cameron pitching change, a double steal with an error brought in a run and pushed the trail runner to third.
Gabriella Valforte cashed in on the opportunity, singling to center and moving the lead to 5-0.
WT brought in a pair of runs in the fifth as a Boyer single and Murtha double put runners on second and third with no outs. With one out, Valforte recorded an RBI ground out to score pinch-runner
Riley Stiner followed by an RBI single from
Heaven Moreno. The Lady Buffs carried its seven-run advantage into the bottom of the fifth where Boyer worked around a two-out error.
In the sixth inning, WT plated a pair of runs on an error by the Aggie defense. A
Megan Guericke double started the inning before advancing on
Braeland Booth's bunt single. With runners on the corners, a stolen base put two runners in scoring position with no outs. A fielder's choice cut the runner down at the plate, but the Lady Buffs moved the runners back into scoring position when
Lauren Granger stole second. With one out in the inning, Rufus tapped a ball to short where the Cameron shortstop threw the ball away to bring in a pair. After a Boyer walk, Murtha singled to right to bring in another run.
Needing three outs to end the game in six, Boyer went back out to the circle. The Aggies forced a pitching change after a walk and single put runners on. After
Ashley Mandell entered the game, a one-out double off the wall scored a run. The freshman hurler settled in after the hit to record two outs and end the game.
THE BASICS
Game 2 Score: Cameron 2, West Texas A&M 0
Pitching: (W) Stormee Reed (11-7); (L)
Heidi Vortherms (14-4)
Unlike game one, offense was hard to come by in game two as the two teams combined for six hits through four innings. It wasn't until the bottom of the sixth where Cameron broke through on the scoreboard. A single from Taylor Rowley put a runner on with one out. During the next at bat, Rowley took off from first to steal second. The throw to second went wide of the base, allowing Rowley to move to third. After a strikeout from
Heidi Vortherms, the Aggies took the lead as Kaiden Boren connected with a two-out two-run home run.
In the top of the seventh, Johnson started the inning with a double to the left-center gap. A pair of quick outs from Cameron put the Lady Buffs down to their final out. With Johnson on second, Guericke lifted a fly ball to left, but the Aggies secured the catch at the wall to end the game.
