TYLER, Texas – The West Texas A&M softball team powered five home runs out of Irwin Field in Tyler, Texas on Thursday as the Lady Buffs defeated UT Tyler 11-8 in game one of the NCAA Super Regionals. With the win, WT improves to 56-6 on the season while UT Tyler falls to 55-6
 
UT Tyler scored the game's first runs in the bottom of the first as JT Smith started the frame with a lead-off walk. Ka'Lyn Watson followed with a bunt single where Smith slid in safely at third. With no outs, Taryn Barney connected for a three-run home run to take the lead. After a single from Bailey Krolczyk and a sacrifice bunt, Emily Liskai threw out the runner trying to score from second on a single through the middle. After the runs, WT held the Patriots off the scoreboard to send the game to the second inning.
 
The Lady Buffs would punch back in the top of the second after Emilee Boyer lined a single into right-center field. On a 2-1 pitch, Cadence Colborn powered a ball out of Irwin Field, cutting the Patriots' lead down to one.
 
WT jumped in front in the top of the third when Lauren Granger started the inning with a single. The base hit forced a UT Tyler pitching change before Kiley Avery's at-bat. The Patriots' pitcher forced a pop-up for the first out, bringing Abby Howell to the plate. After being robbed on a diving catch in the first, Howell gave the defense no chance to catch a ball, sending a ball over the right-center field wall to give the Lady Buffs a 4-3 lead.
 
UT Tyler took the lead in the bottom of the inning as Watson went the other way for a solo home run. After the home run, back-to-back walks put pressure on the WT defense with no outs. A passed ball moved the runners up a base where Abbie Behe lined a single up the middle, scoring two. The Patriots added on as another walk set up a one-out single from Megan Geyer to bring the score to 8-4.
 
The Lady Buffs wouldn't go away quietly in game one of the series. A one-out walk from Avery set up Howell's second two-run blast of the game, bringing WT back within two at 8-6.
 
The momentum shifted to the Lady Buffs' side when Emily Liskai lined a one-out solo home run to right-center field. A Granger walk moved to second when Avery laid down a sacrifice bunt. WT kept its hot-hitting alive when Howell and Boyer loaded the bases with four-pitch walks. The Lady Buffs took the lead on Colborn's second big swing of the day as the freshman infielder hit a bases-clearing double off the center field wall, propelling WT to a 10-8 lead.
 
In the seventh inning, the Lady Buffs kept the home crowd out of the game when Halie Stoneking went deep on the first pitch of her at-bat. An Avery Cannon walk put a runner on the bases where a one-out line-drive single from Granger kept the inning going. Another walk to Howell loaded the bases, but the Patriots retired Boyer to send the game to the bottom of the seventh.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Heidi Vortherms locked down the UT Tyler lineup. Vortherms struck out the lead-off hitter looking before a pair of pop outs ended the game.
 
The Lady Buffs take a 1-0 series lead into Friday's 3 p.m. game where WT is the home team for game two. A win sends the Lady Buffs to the NCAA National Championship site in Chattanooga, Tenn. May 22-28