WICHITA FALLS, Texas – No. 2-ranked West Texas A&M softball swept its Sunday doubleheader with Midwestern State, taking all four games in the regular season meetings. The Lady Buffs pulled away late in game one for an 11-3 victory before run-ruling the Mustangs 9-1 in five innings in game two.
 
The Lady Buffs extend their win streak to 20 games with a 40-2 overall record and 30-2 in Lone Star Conference play. Midwestern State falls to 11-21 in LSC action and 14-27 overall.
 
WT returns to Schaeffer Park on Friday, April 11 for a doubleheader with Western New Mexico. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
THE BASICS:
Game 1 Score: #2 West Texas A&M 11, Midwestern State 3
Pitching: (W) Heidi Vortherms (12-1); (L) Zoe Isom (2-6)
WT wasted no time jumping out in front of game one. With one out, Kiley Avery worked a walk. Abby Howell blasted her seventh home run of the season as the freshman hit one out of the park to left-center field for a 2-0 lead. Following the home run, back-to-back walks from Emilee Boyer and Cadence Colborn set up an infield single from Heaven Moreno to load the bases. Halie Stoneking brought in the Lady Buffs' third run of the inning when the senior forced a walk to bring in Boyer from third.
 
WT extended its lead the next inning when a fielder's choice put Avery on the bases with one out. Howell replicated her success from the first inning, sending a two-run home run out of Mustangs Park to extend the lead.
 
The Mustangs would get on the board in the bottom of the third when a one-out double from Jessika Roberts advanced to third on a wild pitch. A single up the middle from Megan Ayala would score Roberts before a double to the gap put runners on second and third with one out. A sacrifice fly from Myranda Jimenez brought home Midwestern State's second run of the inning, but Heidi Vortherms escaped the inning with a grounder to second base.
 
The Lady Buffs added a run in the fifth inning when a fielder's choice and walk put two runners on the bases with two outs. An Avery single to shortstop looked to load the bases, but an errant throw from Midwestern State allowed a runner to come home.
 
The Mustangs would answer the run in the bottom of the sixth when a double steal plated a run with two outs.
 
WT would put things out of reach of the Mustangs in the top of the seventh as consecutive singles from Emily Liskai, Granger, and Avery loaded the bases. With one out, Howell recorded her fifth and sixth RBIs of the game when the freshman infielder ripped a single down the line in left to plate two. After being held hitless for the first six innings, Boyer wouldn't be denied as the junior slugger went the opposite way for a three-run home run and an 11-3 lead for the Lady Buffs.
 
THE BASICS:
Game 2 Score: #2 West Texas A&M 9, Midwestern State 1 (5 inn.)
Pitching: (W) Emilee Boyer (20-1); Addison Lindemann (6-13)
The WT lineup picked up right where it left off in the first game as back-to-back singles from Granger and Avery moved up a base on Howell's sacrifice bunt. After battling her way to a full count, Boyer recorded an RBI on a grounder to short to score Granger from third. Cadence Colborn would draw a two-out walk, setting up runners on first and third for the Lady Buffs. With Colborn stealing on the play, the pitch went to the backstop with Avery coming in to score.
 
The Mustangs would get one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning as a leadoff double came in on a one-out single from Jimenez.
 
WT added to its lead with two runs in the top of the third, bringing the score to 4-1. The inning started with Avery reaching on an error by the shortstop with Howell drawing a walk and Boyer singling to left to load the bases. With the bases full, Colborn singled up the middle to score a run. Later in the inning, a one-out walk from Stoneking forced in the Lady Buffs' second run of the inning.
 
In the fifth inning, WT started to pull away as singles from Moreno, Stoneking, and Liskai loaded the bases with one out. A sacrifice fly from Granger plated one run where a four-pitch walk to Avery reloaded the bases for Howell. The freshman continued her hot streak at the plate, sending a bases-clearing double to the gap in right and boosting WT's lead to 9-1. The Mustangs would escape the inning without further damage to send the game to the bottom of the fifth. Midwestern State would attempt to extend the game another inning, but a groundout to first ended the Mustangs' rally.