SILVER CITY, N.M. – The West Texas A&M softball team proved why it has one of the top offenses in Division II on Sunday in a doubleheader sweep of Western New Mexico. The Lady Buffs connected on eight long balls for the day against the Mustangs in wins of 25-2 and 11-2, both in six innings.
 
With the sweep, WT improves to 26-2 in Lone Star Conference play and 36-2 overall on the season. Western New Mexico falls to 12-25 on the year with a 9-19 mark in LSC action.
 
WT begins a home-and-home with Midwestern State on Friday, April 4 at Mustang Park in Wichita Falls. 
 
THE BASICS:
Game 1 Score: #3 West Texas A&M 25, Western New Mexico 2 (6 Inn.)
Pitching: (W) Emilee Boyer (18-1); (L) Labraida Tenorio (3-11)
After a scoreless first inning, the Lady Buffs threatened in the top of the second but couldn't break through. In the bottom of the inning, Western New Mexico would take the game's first lead as a leadoff walked moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. With one out, Laryssa Morales connected for a two-run home run.
 
WT would answer the two runs in the top of the third when a leadoff double from Emily Liskai followed by a one-out walk from Kiley Avery put a pair of runners on the bases. Abby Howell snuck a single through the middle to load the bases where Emilee Boyer's single scored two and tied the game.
 
After allowing the home run, Boyer settled in in the circle, striking out the six of the next eight batters she faced. The WT offense started to come alive in the fifth inning when back-to-back RBI base hits from Cadence Colborn and Heaven Moreno would score a pair. The base hits set up a three-run home run from Liskai followed by a solo shot from Lauren Granger two pitches later.
 
In the top of the sixth, WT exploded for 17 runs on 14 hits and four Western New Mexico errors. Colborn connected for a three-run shot with no outs with Halie Stoneking hitting a two-run shot two batters later. After a pair of errors put two on, Granger tripled to right field for two RBIs. A pair of RBI doubles from Howell and Colborn along with a wild pitch extended the WT lead to 18-2. Riley Stiner made the most of her plate appearance, hitting a two-run home run to put WT at the 20-run mark. Three RBI singles from Liskai, Boyer, and Colborn ended the Lady Buff scoring with a 25-2 difference.
 
THE BASICS:
Game 2 Score: #3 West Texas A&M 11, Western New Mexico 2 (6 Inn.)
Pitching: (W) Heidi Vortherms (11-1); (L) Haiven Schoolcraft (2-3)
A Granger double to start the second game followed by an RBI double Kiley Avery put WT up 1-0 with no outs. Later in the inning, a sacrifice fly from Boyer doubled the lead for the Lady Buffs.
 
Boyer would record three more RBIs in the third when singles from Avery and Howell set up a three-run home run for the junior slugger.
 
In the fourth, a Liskai walk came around to score when Avery ripped a single through the left side of the infield. The Mustangs would get on the board in the bottom of the inning when three base hits with two outs scored a run.
 
The Lady Buffs would bring the difference up to eight in the fifth inning when a two-run homer from Stoneking and a sacrifice fly from Liskai scored three in the frame. Needing a run to keep the game going, Western New Mexico would extend the contest to another inning on an RBI single with two outs.
 
WT would put finishing touches on the doubleheader sweep when Boyer connected for her second home run of the game to extend the lead to 11-2. In the bottom of the frame, Kendall Selitzky ended the game on a grounder to second base.