CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M softball kept its season alive with a pair of wins at Schaeffer Park on Friday afternoon. With their backs against the wall, the Lady Buffs defeated No. 20 Angelo State 3-1 before defeating Regis 7-0 in the nightcap.
 
The pair of wins moves WT to 50-7 on the season and advances the Lady Buffs to Saturday's action. WT will face Oklahoma Christian at 2:30 p.m. If the Lady Buffs defeat the Eagles in game one, the two teams return to the field 30 minutes later for a winner-take-all game with a spot in the NCAA Super Regionals on the line.
 
Game 1 Score: West Texas A&M 3, Angelo State 1
Pitching: (W) Heidi Vortherms (16-4); (L) Cheyenne Floyd (20-10)
 
After both teams squandered chances in the first inning, Angelo State took the lead in the bottom of the second. The Rambelles started the inning with back-to-back infield singles before a single up the middle from Carter Smith plated a run. Angelo State loaded the bases on the next batter as Ashton Dirner dropped a single into left field, forcing WT starter Emilee Boyer out of the game. After the pitching change, Heidi Vortherms struck out the next batter to put the Lady Buffs in position to escape the inning. The junior right-hander ended the threat with a groundout to Gabriella Valforte at first.
 
In the third, WT placed a runner in scoring position after Megan Guericke started the inning with a walk. A sacrifice bunt moved pinch-runner Tatem Pendergraft to second. With the Lady Buffs a swing away from tying the game, Angelo State starter Cheyenne Floyd settled in, forcing a pop out from Lauren Granger. Needing a base hit to tie the game, Brittni Rufus lined a ball into the left-center gap, but Rambelles center fielder Laylonna Applin made a running catch on the warning track to save a run.
 
Floyd continued to deal in the circle, retiring 10 straight WT batters until Rufus singled with two outs in the sixth. Following a Boyer walk, Diana Murtha looped a bases-clearing triple down the right field line to give the Lady Buffs their first lead of the game. Following the triple, Madison Johnson singled down the left-field line to bring in Murtha and extend the lead.
 
Angelo State wouldn't go down without a fight as the Rambelles drew a leadoff walk in the sixth. Vortherms didn't let the traffic bother her as she ended the inning without a runner reaching second base. After WT went down in order in the top of the seventh, Vortherms finished the job with a 1-2-3 inning to keep the season alive.
 
Game 2 Score: West Texas A&M 7, Regis 0
Pitching: (W) Heidi Vortherms (17-4); (L) Vanessa Candito (5-4)
 
The Lady Buffs struck first in their second elimination game of the day as Granger started the game with a four-pitch walk. On Boyer's groundout to first, Granger moved to second where she came in to score on a throwing error from the Regis shortstop. The Rangers looked to plate a run in the bottom of the second when a walk advanced to second on a wild pitch. Regis' Ariana Ybarra reached on an infield single and moved the runner to third. With two on and two out, Vortherms exited the inning with a fielder's choice to second base.
 
In the third, WT scored a crucial run to double its lead. A leadoff walk from Emily Liskai advanced to second on a groundout where a Rufus walk put another runner on base. A double steal from Rufus and Liskai allowed Boyer to lift a sacrifice fly into right field and score Rufus from third.
 
After being held to one hit through five innings, the Lady Buffs found the hits they were searching for. Murtha powered a 1-2 pitch to center for a leadoff double and put a runner on second for WT. A popout to short gave Regis an out, but Valforte doubled off the wall in center to bring in Murtha followed by a single to left from Heaven Moreno. After brining in Pendergraft as a pinch runner, pinch-hitter Braeland Booth laid down a safety squeeze to bring in Halie Stoneking from third and give the Lady Buffs a 4-0 lead.
 
Granger provided instant offense in the top of the seventh when the sophomore turned on a 3-1 pitch, blasting the ball over the batting cages in left. After a pair of outs, Regis went to the bullpen once again. A Murtha single with two strikes welcomed the new pitcher where Johnson connected with her sixth home run of the season to extend the lead to 7-0. In the bottom of the seventh, WT turned to freshman Ashley Mandell to secure the win. Mandell surrendered a one-out single but retired the next two hitters on five pitches to end the game.