CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M softball split its Friday evening doubleheader with the Lubbock Christian Lady Chaps, falling in game one 8-7 before winning game two 9-1 in six innings.
WT (34-4, 26-3 LSC) and the Lady Chaps (19-14, 18-11 LSC) finish the series at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
THE BASICS
Game 1 Score: Lubbock Christian 8, West Texas A&M 7
Pitching: (W) Maxine Valdez (7-5); (L)
Heidi Vortherms (12-3); (S) Reece Farrar (3)
The Lady Buffs took the lead in their first at bat of the game as
Lauren Granger started the inning with a single up the middle. After a sacrifice bunt from
Brittni Rufus moved Granger into scoring position,
Emilee Boyer snuck a single up the middle to score Granger. WT couldn't drive in Boyer from second but went to the second inning with a one-run lead.
Lubbock Christian took its first lead of the game in the top of the second as a one-out walk came around to score when Baylea Meyers lifted a 3-2 pitch out of the ballpark. Starting pitcher
Heidi Vortherms settled in after the home run, striking out the next batter before getting a fly out to end the inning.
The Lady Chaps added to their lead in the top of the third after a walk started the inning. Vortherms recorded an out on a pop out to shortstop, but a single and a walk loaded the bases and forced Vortherms out of the game. After the pitching change to
Ashley Mandell, the freshman recorded an out on runner interference before ending the side on a fly out to center field.
Lubbock Christian added to its lead in the top of the fourth as Amanda Valdiviezo started the inning with a solo home run to center. After Valdiviezo's home run, Sydnee Bowlin singled but was erased on a fielder's choice. With one out in the inning, Skylar Herrera and Hope Banales doubled to score a pair of runs. With two outs, Kamryn Gibbs beat out an infield single as Banales came around to score.
WT cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth inning when
Gabriella Valforte lined a double into the right-center gap with one out. After a fly out to right field,
Megan Guericke connected on a 1-1 pitch for a two-run home run, depositing the ball onto the batting cages in left field.
In the fifth inning, the Lady Chaps got a run back as a leadoff double advanced to third on a third strike passed ball. A single up the middle brought home the run in the inning before Boyer forced a double-play ball and ground out from the LCU lineup to end the inning. The Lady Buffs used the momentum in the bottom half of the inning as Granger started the scoring with a leadoff double. A few pitches later, Rufus lined a ball down to the right-field line for an RBI triple. Boyer helped her cause in the circle as the sophomore blasted an opposite-field two-run home run, cutting the LCU lead down to one.
The Lady Chaps added a run in the sixth as the leadoff batter reached on a throwing error from the WT defense, advancing to second on the play. Later in the inning, a passed ball moved the runner to third before an RBI double with two outs brought the score to 8-6 in favor of Lubbock Christian.
WT attempted to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning as
Diana Murtha singled with one out. After a ground out to the pitcher moved Murtha to second, Valforte tripled into the gap to score Murtha and bring the game within one. With the tying run on third, the Lady Chaps sealed the win on a ground ball to short.
THE BASICS
Game 2 Score: West Texas A&M 9, Lubbock Christian 1 (6 inn.)
Pitching: (W)
Emilee Boyer (15-1); (L) Teoni Lamb (7-3)
The Lady Buffs scored early in game two to take the lead in the first inning. A Granger single advanced to second on an overthrow trying to pick off the sophomore at first. Rufus moved Granger to third on an infield single with no outs. With runners on first and third,
Kiley Avery entered the game to pinch run. As Rufus took off from first, Avery started home and drawing an overthrow to move Rufus all the way to third. It didn't take long for WT to cash in on the opportunity as Boyer lifted her second home run of the day to give the Lady Buffs a 3-0 lead.
After a scoreless second inning, singles from Boyer and
Madison Johnson set up a two-out double from Valforte to score the runners. LCU broke up the shutout in the top of the fourth as a lead off single eventually came around to score in the inning.
WT added to its lead an inning later as back-to-back walks from Granger and Rufus scored on a fielding error by the Lady Chaps' shortstop. After the ball trickled into left field, Granger rounded third where the throw came into home. Granger was initially called out on the field, but video review overturned the call on the field to score the run. The error allowed the inning to continue where Murtha ripped a two-RBI double to left.
Needing just a run to end the ball game on the run rule,
Emily Liskai started the sixth inning with a triple into the gap. After Granger fouled out to first, Rufus chopped a ball to second. LCU attempted to throw runner out at home and successfully tagged out Liskai at the plate, but the play was overturned upon review for obstruction.
