CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M softball completed a doubleheader sweep of the St. Mary's Rattlers on Sunday taking game one by a score of 4-3 and game two 11-3 in six innings. The Lady Buffs improve to 14-0 on the season and 4-0 in Lone Star Conference play.
 
WT hits the road to Lawton, Okla. where a doubleheader with Cameron on Friday, Feb. 21 awaits. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.
 
THE BASICS
Game 1 Score: #11 West Texas A&M 4, St. Mary's 3
Pitching: (W) Emilee Boyer (7-0); (L) Savannah Youngblood (0-2)
Emilee Boyer worked a scoreless frame to start the game as Lauren Granger and Heaven Moreno teamed up to catcher a runner stealing second. In the bottom of the inning, Granger started the side with a double to the gap followed by a sacrifice bunt from Kiley Avery moved the leadoff hitter to third. A batter later, Abby Howell ripped a 3-1 pitch into center for an RBI triple.
 
The Lady Buffs added to their lead in the bottom of the second when Halie Stoneking started the inning with a walk. Kendall Seltizky grounded one to third where a throwing error allowed Stoneking to reach second safely. Avery Cannon drove in Stoneking with an RBI double down the right-field line. Emily Liskai doubled the lead as the sophomore outfielder powered a home run to left field.
 
St. Mary's broke up the shutout in the top the fifth when a single and an error put a runner on second for the Rattlers. With no outs in the inning, Miah Corona doubled into the left-center gap, plating Gabriela Banda. Before St. Mary's could gather more momentum, Boyer escaped the inning.
 
The Rattlers put the Lady Buffs on the ropes in the top of the seventh when Banda lifted a home run to left field. After a strikeout, back-to-back hits from Jaylan Roberson and Menee Padilla cut the WT lead down to one. With an out and St. Mary's threatening to take the lead, Boyer recorded her 13^th strikeout of the game before a groundout to short ended the game.
 
Game 2 Score: #11 West Texas A&M 11, St. Mary's 3 (6 inn.)
Pitching: (W) Heidi Vortherms (6-0); (L) Madeline Bloom (4-1)
Howell started the scoring in game two as the Amarillo, Texas native connected for a solo home run to center field with two outs. A two-out error from the Rattlers kept the inning alive for Moreno. The Lady Buffs' short stop flied one to center where the St. Mary's defender lost the ball in the sun, allowing the ball to drop and Boyer to score from first.
 
The bats came alive in the bottom of the second as WT scored five runs on five hits and a Rattlers' error. A double off the bat of Trinity Kuntz set up a Cannon blast to left field. Singles from Liskai and Granger moved up a base on a passed ball, putting the Lady Buffs in prime position to break the game open. On an Avery strikeout, Liskai beat the throw back to the plate when St. Mary's forced Avery out at first. An RBI fielder's choice from Howell scored Granger before a Boyer single into left allowed Howell to cross the plate.
 
In the top of the third inning, the Rattlers took advantage of two WT errors as two runs came in to score. The Lady Buffs got a run back in the bottom of the frame when Trinity Kuntz came in to score on a passed ball after leading off the inning with a double.
 
WT reached the eight-run differential in the bottom of the fourth as a double from Boyer and a single from Moreno set up a Stoneking triple to right-center field. Needing three outs to end the game on the run-rule, the Lady Buffs turned to Ashley Mandell in the circle in the top of the fifth. St. Mary's wouldn't go away quietly as a two-out single from Raegan Tennill scored a run and kept the game alive.
 
Mandell would pitch a scoreless top of the sixth, bringing WT to the plate in the bottom of the inning. The Lady Buffs wasted no time putting pressure on the Rattlers as Moreno singled and stole second to start the inning. A Stoneking single put runners on the corners where the outfielder stole second. With no outs in the frame, Kuntz laced a single into right, scoring Moreno easily and ending the game.