Feb. 24, 2008

Box Score

CANYON, Texas - After dropping the first contest of a twin bill during their home opener at Lady Buff Yard, the West Texas A&M softball team stormed back to claim a run-rule victory over Fort Hays State, 12-1, in game two. The Lady Tigers took the day's opening game by a score of 8-3.

The split leaves WT's overall record this season at 9-8 heading into next weekend when the team will travel to Denton, Texas, to face off against the Pioneers of Texas Woman's in a four-game Lone Star Conference opening series.

Game #1 Recap (Fort Hays State 8, West Texas A&M 3)
The Lady Buff offense could not their find their rhythm at the plate in the day's opener, collecting only four hits against a pair of Lady Tiger pitchers.

After allowing three runs in the top of the second inning, the Lady Buffs came to the plate in the home half of the frame and went to work. Following a walk and a pair of hit batters that loaded the bases, sophomore catcher Dani Couger drove in WT's first run of the day as she grounded into a fielder's choice the forced in one runner and saw a second come in to score on a throwing error by FHSU. The pair of tallies was all that the Lady Buffs could manage in the inning and the frame ended with the home squad still trailing, 3-2.

The two teams traded runs in the fourth inning, with WT getting an RBI single from junior Erin Hartigan, but a four-run outburst by the Lady Tigers in the sixth inning off Lady Buff pitcher Kaitlyn Witte proved to be the difference in an 8-3 loss.

Game #2 Recap (West Texas A&M 12, Fort Hays State 1)
Led by four players with multiple hits in the ballgame, the WT bats awoke in the day's second game to deliver a 12-1, five-inning victory.

Trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the third, WT got rolling in the frame by hanging a four-spot on the scoreboard. The inning featured a two-run home run by sophomore outfielder Amber Farr, the first of her WT career, and RBI hits from Audrey Wallace and Breanna Adams.

The WT sticks remained hot in the bottom of the fourth as they put the game out of reach by taking on eight more runs on seven hits to open a 12-1 advantage. After the first two batters of the inning reached, Jessica Ruzicki got the scoring started with an RBI single. Witte added a two-run single later in the inning and Wallace drove in her second run of the day with a single. Pinch hitter Courtney Moore got in the act as she drove a pitch back up the middle for her first RBI of the season and a two-run single from Caitlin Schmidt put the final touches on the inning.

In the circle, freshman Shannon O'Dea got the win after turning in a hitless performance in the game's final 1.2 innings. O'Dea entered the contest in relief of starter Chantel Pearson, who limited the Lady Tigers to only four hits and one run.