LUBBOCK, Texas – West Texas A&M softball endured over a five hour weather delay to force a split with the Lubbock Christian Lady Chaps. The Lady Buffs couldn't generate offense in game one in a 4-1 loss before bouncing back with a 6-3 victory in game two.
WT moves its record to 49-3 overall and 39-3 in Lone Star Conference play while LCU moves to 33-19 overall and 24-18 in league play.
WT closes out the regular season with a top 10 matchup with rival and No. 7-ranked Angelo State on Sunday, April 27. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. in San Angelo.
THE BASICS:
Game 1 Score: Lubbock Christian 4, #1 West Texas A&M 1
Pitching: (W) Teoni Lamb (9-7); (L)
Emilee Boyer (24-2); (S) Reese Farrar (1)
After WT went down in order to begin the game, LCU made the most of its first plate appearance. After a leadoff walk to Kawehi Ili, a wild pitch moved the runner to second. The runner advanced to third on a groundout to third, putting the Lady Buffs on two outs. WT starter
Emilee Boyer put herself a pitch away from getting out of the inning, but Baylea Myers shot a ball through the right side to score the game's first run.
After trailing for the first three innings, Boyer helped her own cause in the circle in the top of the fourth. On a 1-1 count, the junior blasted a no-doubter out of Maner Park to left field, tying the score at one. The tie wouldn't last long as Kristen Boyd took the first pitch of the bottom of the inning out of the park to left.
LCU would add to its lead in the bottom of the fifth when a one-out error came back to hurt the Lady Buffs. With two outs in the inning, an RBI single down the left-field line plated a run. After another single, an RBI double off the bat of Boyd brought the score to 4-1.
WT attempted to mount a comeback in the top of the sixth as a walk and a single with one out put two runners on. After a Lady Chaps pitching change, the new pitcher worked out of the jam to keep the Lady Buffs off the scoreboard. In the top of the seventh, WT went down in order to watch their 28-game winning streak come to an end.
THE BASICS:
Game 2 Score: #1 West Texas A&M 6, Lubbock Christian 4
Pitching: (W)
Heidi Vortherms (17-1); (L) Natalee Gray (6-4); (S)
Emilee Boyer (2)
After being held quiet in game one, the Lady Buffs found a spark offensively in the second inning of game two. A one-out single from
Halie Stoneking set up a two-run home run for
Trinity Kuntz to grab the lead for WT.
Avery Cannon followed Kuntz with a home run as the Lady Buffs went back-to-back for a 3-0 lead.
The three-run lead held up until the bottom of the third when a two-out single came around to score on an RBI triple from Ili.
In the top of the fifth, the game went into a weather delay, forcing the teams to leave the field for over five and a half hours.
After the restart,
Kiley Avery singled to load the bases. With no outs,
Abby Howell recorded an RBI on a groundout to stretch the lead to 4-1.
In the top of the sixth, a leadoff single from
Heaven Moreno produced a WT run. Moreno advanced to second when Stoneking powered a single through the left side of the infield. After a Kuntz fly out to left center,
Brianna Stokes pinch ran for Moreno at third. Stokes promptly stole home to bring the Lady Buff lead up to 5-1.
LCU cut into the deficit in the bottom of the sixth as a single and hit by pitch put a pair of runners on with no outs. A wild pitch advanced the runners where a double plated two and brought WT's lead down to 5-3. An error extended the inning, but the Lady Buffs escaped the inning and sent the game to the final inning.
WT added a run in the top of the seventh when Howell powered a 1-0 pitch out of the park to extend the lead. In the bottom of the inning, LCU attempted a late comeback as back-to-back singles with one out put pressure on the Lady Buffs. A Lady Buff error advanced the lead runner to third where another RBI double brought the game within two at 6-4. With runners on second and third, Boyer entered the game where retired the next two batters on a strike out and a fly out, registering her second save of the season.
