West Texas A&M University Athletics

CANYON, TEXAS – The #6 Lady Buffs of West Texas A&M opened the 2026 College World Series with a devastating extra inning loss to the #4 Cal State Stan Marcos Cougars, 5-4 at Frost Stadium inside of Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
 
The Lady Buffs got on the board in the top of the second inning, loading the bases with no outs before an Avery Cannon sac fly to left center that scored Cadence Colborn for the 1-0 lead. Cal State San Marcos responded in the bottom of the fourth inning on an Alizabeth Ruiz RBI single down the right field line with one out to score Czar Fleischman at 1-1.
 
WT looked to retake the lead in the top of the seventh inning as Jordyn De Los Santos reached on an error with one out followed by an Abby Howell single to center, De Los Santos moved to third on a fielder's choice groundout but the Cougars forced a grounder to first to end the inning and the threat.
 
The game went extra inning as WT put pressure in the top of the eighth inning with walks by Brooke Janning and Emily Liskai to start the frame, CSUSM forced a fielder's choice groundout to cut down the lead runner before Laci Peskey gave the Lady Buffs the lead with a pinch-hit single that scored Janning. WT wasn't done yet as De Los Santos singled to center with two outs to drive in a pair, tying the Lone Star Conference single-season RBI record (95) and giving the Lady Buffs a 4-1 lead.
 
CSUSM wouldn't go down without a fight in the bottom of the frame as Fleischman doubled to the wall in right center with one out to score Kaila Siu followed by a Sarah Bull two-run homerun off the left field foul pole to make it 4-4. 
 
The Cougars would win the game in an unconventional way in the home half of the ninth as a leadoff single by Jordan Elias was followed by a sacrifice bunt from Marissa Morales, an errant WT throw to third base trying to get the lead runner would allow Elias to score for the 5-4 win.
 
Janning claimed the loss (24-4) for the Lady Buffs, allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits with two walks and six strikeouts in the complete game effort.
 
The Lady Buffs fall into the loser's side of the bracket as they will take on eighth-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday morning with first pitch scheduled for 10:00 a.m. CT at Frost Stadium in an elimination game.