CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M Buffaloes opened their 2025 home slate with a 3-2 victory over the Wayland Baptist Pioneers on Saturday afternoon at Wilder Park in Canyon.
 
The Buffs got on the scoreboard in the home half of the fourth inning as Elijah Batista lifted a two-run homerun down the left field line with two outs for the 2-0 advantage. The Pioneers used the long balk to respond in the top of the fifth as Samuel Fabian started off the frame with a solo homerun to left to make it 2-1.
 
WT added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth as they manufactured a run with Ryan Camacho laying down a squeeze bunt with runners on the corners, scoring Jovan Camacho from third for the 3-1 advantage. WBU would cut into the lead again in the top of the sixth on an Arcadio Frausto sac fly to right that plated Cooper Jauz to make it 3-2.
 
The remainder of the game was a battle on the mound as the Buffs used Davis Luikart and Tai Phetluangsy out of the bullen to earn the 3-2 victory.
 
Nathan Scott picked up the win (1-0) for the Buffs, allowing two earned runs on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts in his 5.2 innings of work, Phetluangsy earned his second save of the season allowing just one hit over the final 2.1 frames with three strikeouts.
 
The Buffs return to Wilder Park next weekend as they host the Greyhounds of Eastern New Mexico in a four-game Lone Star Conference series beginning on Friday afternoon.