Category Archives: Sports

Lady Buffs battle against ACU

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WT looks to defend its LSC South crown.  WT played against Abilene Christian on March 18-19.

Game one didn’t start out great for the maroon and white as ACU plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead.  WT tried to rally in the top of the fifth but could only muster one run as they fell 3-1 in the first game of the series.

Junior Kimberly LeComte led the offense for the Lady Buffs going 3-for-4 at the plate.  Sophomore Meghan Slattery drove in the only run of the game with a solo homerun.

Junior Shelby Cockrell took the loss for the Lady Buffs (12-3) giving up three runs on six hits and striking out four batters.

WT got a measure of revenge in game two as they used a strong offensive attack to shutout ACU 5-0.  LeComte once again led the offensive attack with two RBI.  Senior Christie Russell also had two RBI.

Junior Marci Womack picked up the win on the mound for the Lady Buffs (10-2) giving up no runs on five hits with two strikeouts.

Game three was a tightly contested affair that brought a little piece of history for WT.  In the top of the fourth, LeComte hit a two-run homerun which was her 40th all-time setting a new record in the Lone Star Conference.  Unfortunately, ACU had the last word and snatched a 9-8 victory.

Along with LeComte, seniors Kaitlyn Witte and Slattery also homered in the game.  Junior Shelby Cockrell was tagged with the loss (12-4) giving up five runs on five hits in her 5.0 innings of relief.

WT’s overall record now stands at 22-6 with a 2-4 record in LSC play.  The Lady Buffs will now prepare for a crucial series against region opponent Emporia State at a neutral site on March 23.  First Pitch from Oklahoma City University is set for 1:00 p.m.

WT takes series from ranked opponent

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Jess Cooper catches the ball putting an Incarnate Word player out. Photo by Evan Grice.

Jess Cooper catches the ball putting an Incarnate Word player out. Photo by Evan Grice.

WT looked to continue their fine home form as they took the field against #23 ranked Incarnate Word in Lone Star Conference play on March 18-19 at Wilder Park.

 

Game one saw the Buffs claim a 5-0 lead after three innings of play.  By the end of the sixth inning it was 9-0 and the game looked like it might end due to a run-rule.  However, UIW wasn’t going to go quietly into the night.  After plated one run in the seven and eighth innings, the Cardinals tried to rally in the ninth but could only manage four runs and the Buffs won 9-6.

Leading the offense for the Buffs was senior Garrett Campfield who had a two RBI triple in the bottom of the fourth.  Fellow senior Will Miller went 3-for-5 at the plate and scored three times.

Junior Justin Kuks picked up the win for the Buffs (5-0) pitching. He gave up two runs on four hits with six strikeouts in eight innings of work.  Senior Mike De Long made a relief appearance giving up four runs on three hits in 0.2 innings of work.  Junior Zach Walker picked up the save for the Buffs.

UIW struck back in the second game of the series thanks to a four run fourth inning to claim a 5-3 victory.

Junior Jordan Easom led the offense for the Buffs going 2-for-3 with an RBI in the game.  Fellow junior Irving Camacho was tagged with the loss (4-2) giving up four runs on 10 hits in 4.0 innings of work.

WT was determined to claim the series in game three.  UIW however, had other ideas and it looked like they were going to claim the victory after pinning the Buffs down 5-2 going into the bottom of the ninth inning.

But, that’s when the offense came alive for the Buffs.  Senior Garrett Campfield tied the game with his first career homerun over the left field wall.  Four batters later with no outs; it was junior Kendall Boone who played hero by hitting a walk-off grand slam to left center to give WT a 9-5 victory.

Junior Zach Walker picked up the victory on the mound for the Buffs (2-0) giving up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in 3.2 innings of relief.

WT’s overall record now stands at 18-7 with a 9-8 record in conference play.  The Buffs will play host to non-conference foe Wayland Baptist on March 22.  First pitch from Wilder Park is set for 5:00 p.m.

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Lady Buffs sweep Lady Grizzlies

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LeComte hits two homeruns

After a frustrating weekend in San Antonio, the #10 ranked WTAMU Lady Buffs were back in action and looking for redemption against Adams State on March 16 at Lady Buff Yard. 

WT used two quality pitching performances and timely hitting to sweep ASC and gain some momentum heading into their next conference series. 

In game one the Lady Buffs sprang into life in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a three-run homerun from junior Kim LeComte which gave WT a 3-0 lead.  LeComte struck again in the bottom of the third with a solo homerun.  The Lady Buffs scored three more runs in the inning to give themselves a 7-0 lead.  ASC eventually scored three runs of their own but it wasn’t enough as the Lady Grizzlies fell 7-3 to the Lady Buffs. 

With the two homeruns, LeComte is now tied for the all-time Lone Star Conference career homerun record with former Angelo State Rambelle Macy Baker at 39 apiece. 

Junior Shelby Cockrell got the win on the mound for the Lady Buffs (12-2) throwing a complete game giving up three runs on five hits while striking out 13.   

Game two was much of the same for the Lady Buffs.  A four run first inning got WT rolling before ASC struck back to cut the lead in half in the second inning.  The Lady Buffs made it 5-2 in the third inning before adding four more in the fourth to put the game out of reach.  WT eventually won 11-3 in five innings. 

Juniors Kim LeComte and Kristina Myles led the offense for the Lady Buffs both driving in three runs each. 

Junior Marci Womack picked up the win in game two for the Lady Buffs (9-2) allowing three runs on nine hits with five strikeouts. 

WT’s overall record now stands at 21-4.  The Lady Buffs will return to LSC play on March 18-19 against Abilene Christian on the road.  First pitch in the three game series is set for 4 p.m. on March 18. 

Buffs swept by Bulldogs

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Lose first series of season

If there is one thing the #19 ranked WTAMU baseball team has prided itself on this season, it’s been their ability to not lose a series whether that is in LSC play or in non-conference play.  WT looked to continue this trend on March 11-12 against Southwestern Oklahoma State in Weatherford, Oklahoma. 

SWOSU came out strong in the early part of the series and gave the Buffs something they haven’t had this season, a series sweep. 

In game one the Bulldogs jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before WT cut the lead in half in the top of the second inning.  SWOSU made it 3-1 after two innings of play.  However, the offense for the Buffs started to find its rhythm in the top of the third when they scored seven runs to claim a 7-3 lead.  But, the lead was short lived as the Bulldogs tied the game in the bottom of the third at 7-7.  Despite taking an 8-7 lead, the Buffs were never fully in control.  SWOSU was simply too much on the day as they took game one 19-9 in seven innings. 

Junior Bryce Baugh led the offense for the Buffs going 2-for-3 with four RBI and two homeruns on the day.  Fellow junior Casey Lish took the loss on the mound for the Buffs (2-2) giving up 12 runs on 18 hits while striking out one in 4.2 innings of work.

Game two saw the Bulldogs use a three run third inning to propel them to a 4-1 victory.  Junior Kendall Boone hit a sacrifice fly to score senior Trey Horn in the top of the fourth for the lone Buff run of the game. 

Junior Irving Camacho picked up the loss on the mound for the Buffs (4-2) allowing four runs on eight hits in the complete game loss. 

SWOSU completed the sweep in the final game of the series with an RBI single in the bottom of the tenth inning to claim a 4-3 victory. 

Senior Tyler Reagan led the offense for WT going 1-for-1 with a two RBI double. 

Senior closer Mike De Long was tagged with the loss (0-1) giving up one run on one hit in 0.1 innings of work. 

WT’s overall record now stands at 16-6 with a 7-5 mark in LSC play.  The Buffs will return home on March 18 as they begin a three-game series with Incarnate Word.  First pitch from Wilder Park is set for 6 p.m. 

Buffs fall in NCAA first round

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Holcomb records double-double in final game

WTAMU men’s basketball Coach Rick Cooper and his # 23 ranked Buffs made their return to the NCAA tournament on March 12 as they took on Fort Hays State in the quarterfinals of the South Central Regional tournament.  The game was played at Hamilton Field House on the campus of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Oklahoma. 

WT struggled early against a tough Tiger squad and found themselves on the back foot due to a distinct size disadvantage.  It was this combined with an early scoring barrage that doomed the Buffs to an early exit by the score of 75-49. 

“We got off to a bad start and that just continued over the 40 minutes,” WT Coach Rick Cooper said.  “They’re [Fort Hays] very good and they got the start that you dream of having as a coach. I’m disappointed that we’re not continuing to play but I don’t want a bad performance like this to cloud an otherwise outstanding year for this team.” 

WT started out strong and held a 4-1 lead at the 18:36 mark of the first half.  However that was about as good as it got for the maroon and white.  The Buffs remained close at 7-6 with 16:13 left but that’s when the wheels started falling off for WT.  FHSU proceeded to go on a 16-0 run and take a 23-6 lead with just over 13 minutes left in the half. 

“I thought we played really well from the start on both ends of the floor,” FHSU Coach Mark Johnson said.  “Offensively this was one of our best performances of the season.” 

The Buffs couldn’t get any closer than 13 points throughout the rest of the half.  FHSU took a 38-21 lead into the locker room at halftime. 

“I could see it was going south in a hurry,” Cooper said.  “When we got the ball down there in a position to score then we couldn’t do it.  We missed some early perimeter shots. When you’re struggling on one end then it’s hard to get going on the other end.”

Things didn’t get much better for the Buffs in the second half.  Although, the good news was that they did start to find their offensive rhythm but it was just simply too much to overcome against FHSU.  WT eventually bowed out of the NCAA tournament falling 75-49. 

“I told the guys in the locker room that there is only one team at every level that finishes with a win,” Cooper said.  “This was a disappointing performance tonight but Fort Hays was very good on the night. I’m very proud of the kids especially the seniors.  We’ve had a great year and we’ll look back and say this was a very successful season.” 

Senior Jacquiese Holocomb said he finished the season with no regrets.

“I’ve enjoyed this season and have no regrets,” WT senior Jacquiese Holcomb said.  “I wish we would have won today but I’ve learned so much this season especially from Coach Cooper.” 

Holcomb paced the WT offense with 16 points and 12 rebounds on the evening.  Senior Joe Mincey scored 11 points on the evening with fellow senior LaDarius Hall chipping in 10 points. 

Fort Hays was paced by seniors Corbin Kuntzsch and Dominique Jones with 17 and 15 points respectively.  

WT finishes the season at 23-7.  The 23 wins are the most for the Buffs since 2005-06.  Coach Rick Cooper will lose five seniors to graduation as his squad looks for a return to the post-season in 2012.       

Cardinals fly over Buffs

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The WTAMU Lady Buff softball team lost to the Incarnate Word Cardinals with a final score of 1-0 on March 12. 

                The Lady Buffs had faced off against the Cardinals March 11 for a double header coming away with one victory.

                The Lady Cardinals defeated WT with a single RBI.  Pitcher Shelby Cockrell picked up the loss in the circle, but only gave away one run on six hits.   The Lady Buffs drop to 19-4 overall and 1-2 in LSC play.

                The Lady Buffs host Adams State March 16 before traveling to play Abilene Christian University over the weekend.

Kaitlyn Witte’s batting flusters Cardinals

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            WTAMU’s Lady Buff softball team improves to 19-3 on the season and 1-1 in Lone Star Conference play following a double header against the Incarnate Word Lady Cardinals on March 11.

            The Lady Cardinals won the first game of the night with a no-hitter from pitcher Briana Sanchez.  The game ended in five innings with a score of 11-0.  WT pitcher Marci Womack gave up nine runs on 12 hits.  Fellow pitcher Chantel Pearson gave up two runs on three hits.  Pearson managed two strikeouts during the last 1.2 innings of game one.

            WT rallied in the second game and game out with a 3-2 victory.  The team scored twice during the fifth inning monopolizing on a baserunning mistake by Incarnate Word.  WT appealed a two run homerun by Incarnate Word’s Monica Acuna and won the challenge, effectively putting an end to Incarnate Word’s attempt to rally in the second game.

            Kaitlyn Witte was essential in this WT victory.  Her batting drove in all three Lady Buff players.  She hit 3-for-4 with an RBI single and a two run double.

            WT pitcher Shelby Cockrell managed 11 strikeouts in game two.  Her record improves to 11-1 in the circle.

            WT faces the Lady Cardinals again March 12 at noon. 

Lady Buffs split with St. Mary’s

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The #6 ranked WTAMU Lady Buff softball team is enjoying one of their best seasons.  There has been one team that has been a thorn in the side of the maroon and white this season: St. Mary’s.  WT looked to avenge their only loss of the season on Mar. 10 when they took on the Lady Rattlers in San Antonio.

In game one the Lady Buffs had trouble finding their offensive rhythm against a stingy defense.  The Lady Rattlers took advantage of this and used a four run fourth inning to propel them to their second straight victory over WT by a score of 5-1.  Freshman Alyssa Lemos had the lone RBI in the contest for the Lady Buffs when she drove in junior Samantha Watson in the top of the seventh inning.

Junior Marci Womack was tagged with the loss (8-1) allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out six.

WT finally figured out St. Mary’s in the second game as they used a strong pitching performance from junior Shelby Cockrell to claim a 1-0 victory.  The lone run of the game came in the top of the fifth inning with junior Kimberly LeComte hitting a sacrifice fly to score sophomore Brooke Webster.

Cockrell got the victory on the mound for the Lady Buffs striking out 16 batters while only allowing two hits.  The 16 strikeouts breaks the previous record set on March 13, 2009 against Texas A&M Kingsville when 13 batters were struck out.

WT’s overall record now stands at 18-2.  The Lady Buffs will open conference play on March 11 when they take on Incarnate Word.  First pitch of a double-header is scheduled for 5 p.m. with a single game scheduled to start at noon on March 12.

Buffs fight but fall in double overtime

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If there is one thing that any team knew coming into this season, it was that when they played the #24 WTAMU men’s basketball team they were going to be in for a tough game.  This trend continued on Mar. 5 when the Buffs took on #7 ranked Central Oklahoma in the semi-finals of the Lone Star Conference tournament in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

WT fought back from a 14 point first half deficit to send the game into overtime.  Unfortunately for the Buffs, the upset wasn’t in the cards as they fell just short losing 66-63 in double overtime.

The first half was all about runs for both teams.  WT opened the contest with a 7-0 run at the 18:11 mark of the half.  UCO then responded with a 16-1 run which saw them claim a 16-8 lead with 10:50 left before halftime.  It looked as though the Bronchos were going to pull away from the Buffs as their lead grew to as many as 14 points in the first half.  But, thanks to some clutch shooting the Buffs were able to chip away at the lead and go into the locker room for halftime only down by eight points at 28-20. Continue reading →

Lady Buffs dominate doubleheader

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Casey Henderson slides to reach the base. Photo by Kati Watson.

Casey Henderson slides to reach the base. Photo by Kati Watson.

The WTAMU Lady Buff softball team opened impressively day one of the Lady Buff invitational. They began by defeating the Washburn Lady Blues 9-0 in the morning game. WT would follow up with a 15-0 win over the Eastern New Mexico University Zias. Both games ended after the fifth inning due to the run-rule.

WT grabbed a quick lead against Washburn when junior Kim LeComte stole second base and proceeded to score on a throwing error, giving the Lady Buffs a 1-0 lead. The Lady Buffs extended their lead to 5-0 in the third when senior Christie Russell hit a two run single to right field. LeComte put the game away in the fourth with a two run homerun to dead center, bringing the score to 9-0. Junior Shelby Cockrell improved her record to 8-1, giving up no runs on five hits with two strikeouts in a complete game effort.

“Kim LeComte’s homerun into a 30 mph wind was huge for us,” Head coach Kevin Blaskowski said. “Shelby Cockrell was outstanding in the circle. Our offense was opportunistic and did a great job at scoring runs.” Continue reading →