LOS LUNAS, N.M. – West Texas A&M softball continued its hot start to the 2025 season as the Lady Buffs recorded a 13-2 win over UCCS in five innings and a 6-2 win over Simon Fraser. WT improves to 4-0 on the season and rematches with Simon Fraser tomorrow to close out the South Central Region Crossover.
 
THE BASICS
Game 1 Score: #13 West Texas A&M 13, UCCS 2 (5 inn.)
Pitching: (W) Heidi Vortherms (1-0); (L) Lauren Folk (0-1)
Back-to-back walks to open the game from Lauren Granger and Kylie Avery placed a pair of runners on the bases with no outs. A double steal from the pair placed the Lady Buffs on second and third, creating an early scoring chance. Granger would come into score on a wild pitch with Abby Howell at the plate, setting up an RBI single from Emilee Boyer to make it 2-0. WT would add three more on back-to-back doubles from Halie Stoneking and Trinity Kuntz, forcing a UCCS pitching change in the first inning. The change worked to the favor fo the Mountain Lions, ending the inning.
 
In the second inning, an error to start the frame gave the Lady Buffs momentum. With Granger on second, Avery doubled to the gap in left to score the first run in the inning. After a pair of outs, Heaven Moreno singled to third base followed by a double from Stoneking, created an 8-0 lead for WT entering the third.
 
An Avery Cannon single to start the third advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Canon eventually came in to score on a one-out single from Granger.
 
The Lady Buffs blew the game open in the top of the fifth with four runs on four hits. Trinity Kuntz reached base on a hit-by-pitch before Lily Mulder entered to pinch run. Cannon added to her RBI total as the freshman sent an 0-1 pitch into the right-center gap. With two outs, Cadence Colborn poked a double down the right field line before a Riley Stiner triple to left field made it 12-0. Boyer capped the scoring with a single up the middle, sending the game to the bottom of the fifth with a 13-0 score.
 
The Mountain Lions fought back in the bottom of the fifth as an error from WT gave UCCS an early base runner. A fielder's choice followed by a single put two on with one out where a double plated two. Following the runs, a single put runners on the corners, but Kendall Selitzky forced a foul fly to first to end the game.
 
THE BASICS
Game 2 Score:  #13 West Texas A&M 6, Simon Fraser 2
Pitching: (W) Emilee Boyer (2-0); (L) Nevada Johnson (0-1)
 
The first three and a half innings proved to be a pitcher's duel as Boyer and Simon Fraser's Nevada Johnson shut down each lineup. Simon Fraser broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth as a single and a walk put runners on. The Red Leafs cashed in on the chance with a single to left before a strikeout from Boyer slowed the momentum. WT ended the inning with momentum as Stoneking made a catch in left before throwing out the runner trying to advance to third.
 
With the swing of momentum in favor of the Lady Buffs, a one-out double from Stoneking rattled the outfield fence. Stiner followed with a walk to set up a Cadence Colborn single of the wall to tie the game at one. Colborn then stole second and advance to third on Emily Liskai's RBI fielder's choice, scoring pinch runner Lily Mulder to take a 2-1 lead. WT jumped out to a lead when Granger blasted a three-run home run to dead center field.
 
In the top of the seventh, a Cannon triple to right-center field scored on the next play when Liskai grounded out to second. The Lady Buffs kept runners in scoring position through the side but couldn't plate anymore. In the bottom of the seventh, Simon Fraser needed five to keep the game going. The Red Leafs created a chance for themselves when a single and error put runners on first and second with no outs. Ashley Mandell forced a flyout before a one-out walk loaded the bases. A run came in to score when a sacrifice fly cut the lead down to 6-2. Mandell settled in after the run, forcing a lineout to Moreno at short to end the game.