CANYON, Texas – The No. 1-ranked West Texas A&M softball team flexed its offensive muscle on Wednesday night, scoring 30 combined runs in a doubleheader sweep of the UT Permian Basin Falcons. The Lady Buffs allowed a first-inning run before collecting 16 unanswered runs of their own to run-rule the Falcons, 16-1. Game two saw WT jump ahead early and never look back on its way to a 14-0 run-rule victory.
 
The Lady Buffs improved to 36-2 in Lone Star Conference play and 46-2 overall while UT Permian Basin fell to 8-40 on the year including 3-35 in LSC action.
 
WT finishes out their regular season home schedule with Senior Day on Friday, April 18 against Sul Ross State. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.  
 
THE BASICS
Game 1 Score: #1 West Texas A&M 16, UT Permian Basin 1 (5 Inn.)
Pitching: (W) Heidi Vortherms (15-1); (L) Laila Vasquez (0-2)
The Falcons got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. With two outs in the inning, UTPB right fielder Taylor Ramirez lifted a solo shot out to left-center field for a 1-0 lead. The Lady Buffs would answer the UTPB run with two of their own in the bottom of the inning. A lead-off walk from Lauren Granger put a runner on. During Kiley Avery's at bat, Granger advanced two bases on a wild pitch. Lily Mulder replaced Granger on the bases, scoring on a wild pitch as Avery walked. A sacrifice fly from Emilee Boyer brought home Avery who worked her way around the bases in the inning.
 
WT broke the game open in the bottom of the second, scoring seven runs on six hits. Singles from Avery Cannon, Emily Liskai, and Granger to start the inning quickly loaded the bases where a bases-loaded walk from pinch-hitter Riley Stiner brought home a run. Abby Howell brought home a pair when the freshman infielder ripped a single into right field. After a walk to Boyer reloaded the bases, Cadence Colborn launched the first grand slam of her WT career, bringing the score to 9-1.
 
The Lady Buffs would close their scoring total in the bottom of the third with seven runs on five hits. The explosive inning started with a single from Liskai followed by back-to-back walks from Granger and Avery. A bases-loaded walk from Howell brought in a run followed by a two-RBI double off the bat of Boyer made the score 12-1. After WT reloaded the bases, Cannon powered a grand slam off the lights in left-center field.
 
After the first-inning home run, the Lady Buff pitching staff went lights out without allowing a base runner.  
 
Game 2 Score: #1 West Texas A&M 14, UT Permian Basin 0 (5 Inn.)
Pitching: (W) Heidi Vortherms (15-1); Emery Aguilar (2-7)
WT started game two with fireworks in the bottom of the first inning, jumping out to a seven-run lead. After a lead-off walk to Granger, Avery replaced the junior on the bases on a fielder's choice. A Howell walk put another runner on the bases where Boyer notched an RBI single into left to score Avery. Heaven Moreno ripped a two-RBI single, scoring the WT base runners and bring the score to 3-0. Stoneking would connect on the Lady Buffs' third home run on the day, bringing the lead up to 5-0. A Cannon walk later in the inning brought up Liskai with one out. Liskai powered a ball into the right-center gap where the sophomore raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
 
After the explosive first inning, WT plated two more in the bottom of the second as a Boyer walk forced in a run. With runners on first and third, Boyer took off for second where the Falcons' pitcher sailed her pitch to the backstop to score Howell from third base.
 
A lead-off home run from Liskai in the third inning brought the lead to 10-0 when an RBI double from Stiner with two outs scored WT's 11^th run.
 
Three runs for the Lady Buffs in the bottom of the fourth capped the scoring at 14. A one-out triple from Trinity Kuntz came in to score on Cannon's second home run of the day. With two outs, Granger launched a solo shot on the first pitch of her at bat, sealing the 14-0 win.