Category Archives: Sports

Battle of the Buffs: Volleyball vs. Football for charity

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The Lady Buffs gather together after the match. Photo by Matt Watkins.

The Lady Buffs gather together after the match. Photo by Matt Watkins.

The Lady Buffs volleyball team hosted the first annual WTAMU Battle of the Buffs fundraiser on April 28. The event consisted of an exhibition volleyball match between the Lady Buffs and some current WT football players. The purpose of the event was to raise money for the HALI Project’s “Where the Learning Continues” program for developmentally disabled students at WT.

The attendance for the fundraiser, held in the Box, was estimated to be around 150 to 200 people. The event raised $1,000 for the HALI Project, which is only a small portion of the $15,000 needed annually to keep the project running.

“That’s a good figure for a first time event like this,” Brad Thompson, founder of the HALI Project, said. “I think it’s always important to let people know how the amount raised compares to the need.”

The Lady Buffs came out victorious in the match two sets to one. The Lady Buffs won the first set 25-19. Then, the WT football team took the second set by a 25-18 score. The third set came right down to the wire with the Lady Buffs taking it 16-14.

“I thought it was a great event with a great crowd for a great cause, and it was a very fun night,” WT football coach Don Carthel, who coached the Lady Buffs for the event, said. “The football team was very competitive playing with the girls.”

Dana Hanselmann, the graduate assistant volleyball coach, summarized the purpose of the two team’s participation in the event.

“Our goal was really, in cooperating with the football team, to raise awareness for the program,” Hanselmann said.

Buffs fall to Tarleton

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Buffs vs. Tarleton.

Buffs vs. Tarleton.

The formula was pretty cut and dry for the WTAMU baseball team coming into their series with Tarleton on April 29-30 at Wilder Park.  For the Buffs to make the LSC tournament, they had to have a sweep of the #22 ranked Texans.

Game one proved to be nothing short of a slugfest.  In the first inning, senior Garrett Campfield hit a two-run homerun that was part of a six run inning for the Buffs.  WT led 6-1 after one complete.  After TSU got a run back in the top of the second, junior Jordan Easom hit a two run homer in the bottom of the third to make it an 8-2 game.   Easom struck again in the fourth with a solo homerun as part of a four run inning that saw the Buffs lead 12-3.

TSU cut the lead down to six in the top of the sixth with three more runs to make it 12-6.  But, WT answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to extend the lead to 14-6.  Things got a little tense when TSU scored two runs in the top of the seventh and eighth, but the Buffs held their nerve and eventually came away with a 15-11 victory.

Easom finished the day with four RBI followed by senior Will Miller and junior Bryce Baugh with three RBI each.

Junior Justin Kuks got the victory pitching on the mound for the Buffs (8-5).  He gave up six runs on seven hits with five strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work.

In the second game of the series, WT’s worst fears came to pass as a six run third inning was too much to overcome as TSU claimed an 8-5 victory and ended the Buffs hopes of qualifying for the LSC tournament.

Junior Irving Camacho was tagged with the loss for the Buffs (6-4).  He gave up six runs on nine hits with three strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work.

Despite a three run homerun by senior Will Miller in the series finale, it wasn’t enough as the Texans claimed the series with another 8-5 victory.

Junior Casey Lish got the loss on the mound (3-5).  He gave up two runs on two hits in 1.0 i•nings of work.

WT finishes the season 30-19 overall.  This is the fourth time in program history the Buffs have won 30 games and the first time since 2002.

The Buffs will graduate nine seniors from this squad which include Brad Elders, Trey Horn, Will Miller, Mike De Long, Josh Cordova, Tyler Reagan, Garrett Campfield, Jonathan Paez, and Richard Glenn.

Lady Buffs split with LCU

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It’s been said if you’re going to play a non-conference opponent you might as well take on someone really good.  That’s exactly what the #23 ranked WTAMU Lady Buffs did on April 26 as they took on Lubbock Christian who is a member of the NAIA and ranked #7 in the nation at Lady Buff Yard.

In game one the Lady Chaps took the lead at 2-0 in the top of the first inning.  The lead held up until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Lady Buffs tied the game at 2-2.  However, LCU made it 4-2 when they came to bat in the sixth inning.  WT cut the lead down to one run and had a chance to either tie or win the game with runners on second and third but couldn’t capitalize as they fell 4-3.

Junior Marci Womack was tagged with the loss (18-7) for the Lady Buffs.  She gave up four runs on six hits with four strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work.

Game two was another tightly contested affair with both teams giving the other their best shot.  Despite taking the lead after one inning at 1-0, the Lady Buffs were never in control early on.  LCU came right back with four runs of their own to take a 4-1 lead in the top of the third.  However, the Lady Buffs responded with five total runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth to claim the 6-4 victory and the series split.

Junior Kim LeComte led the offense on the day for the Lady Buffs with three RBI.

Junior Shelbey Cockrell picked up the win on the mound for WT (19-6) giving up no runs on two hits with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings of relief.

WT’s overall record now stands at 37-14.  The Lady Buffs will finish up conference play the weekend of April 29-30 as they play host to Eastern New Mexico.  First pitch from Lady Buff Yard is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on April 29 as part of a doubleheader with a single game scheduled for April 30.

Lady Buffs take series from TexAnns

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The WTAMU Buffs baseball team completed their weekend series with the Angelo State Rams with a doubleheader on April 23. The Rams completed a sweep of the Buffs via a pair of walk-off victories. Angelo took game one with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth, earning a dramatic 9-8 victory. In game two, a WT error gave the Rams the 10-9 win.

The Buffs scored first in game one when junior Kendall Boone hit an RBI single and junior Jess Cooper scored on a wild pitch in the first inning, giving the Buffs an early 2-0 lead. The lead would be short lived as Angelo State answered with seven runs on three hits and one WT er•ror in the bottom half of the inning, giving the Rams a 7-2 advantage. WT began to come back in the sixth when junior Bryce Baugh cracked a three-run homer to make it 8-5. The Buffs would tie it in the seventh on a two run blast by Boone and a sac fly by Baugh, making the score 8-8. Zach Klink’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth gave Angelo State their first walk-off win of the day 9-8.

The Buffs would strike early again in game two, taking a 4-0 lead after the first inning. The Ram’s Tate Allison cut WT’s lead in half with a two run shot in the second, cutting the score to 4-2.

The Buffs plated four more runs in their half of the third to take a commanding 8-2 lead. Angelo State began to play chip away at the Buffs’ lead, scoring five runs across the third, fourth and fifth innings, bring•ing the score to 8-7 after five. WT added an insurance run on senior Will Miller’s sac fly in the sixth, giving the Buffs a 9-7 advantage. After the Rams added a run in the sixth, Allison’s solo homerun tied the game at nine all. A WT error that allowed Brent Denny to score gave Angelo State their second walk-off win of the day.

Junior Zach Walker (2-2) got the losses in both games. He gave up one run on three hits in 1.1 innings of relief in game one, and two runs on two hits in 1.0 inning in game two.

The Buffs will complete their LSC schedule this weekend in Canyon against Tarleton State. The first game is scheduled for April 29 at 6 p.m., followed by a doubleheader April 30 set to begin at 1 p.m.

Buffs lose against Angelo State

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The #23 ranked WTAMU Lady Buffs finished up the road portion of their conference schedule on April 22-23 as they took on Tarleton State looking to keep up their strong play as the season winds down.

Game one was a scrappy affair with the Lady Buffs falling behind 1-0 after one inning.  RBI’s by juniors Meghan Brown and Whitney Midkiff gave WT the lead at 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning before TSU tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom half of the inning.  Brown struck again the very next inning with an RBI single followed by a sacrifice fly by fellow junior Kristina Myles to make it 4-2.  TSU pulled one run back in the bottom of the seventh but it wasn’t enough as the Lady Buffs held on for the 4-3 victory.

Junior Marci Womack picked up the victory on the mound (18-6) giving up three runs on six hits with six strikeouts in the complete game victory. 
WT claimed the series in game number two thanks to the Lady Buffs scored nine runs over the last three innings to claim an 11-6 victory.  Freshman Alyssa Lemos paced the offense with four RBI followed by senior Kaitlyn Witte with two RBI. 
Junior Shelbey Cockrell got the victory pitching for the Lady Buffs (18-6) giving up six runs on eight hits with 15 strikeouts in the complete game victory. 
TSU struck back in the series finale as they used a walk-off two run homer to claim a 6-4 victory over the Lady Buffs.  Witte once again was a spark for the Lady Buffs with two RBI on the day. 
Shelbey Cockrell was tagged with the loss (18-7) as she gave up two runs on two hits with four strikeouts in her 2.0 innings of relief. 
WT’s overall record now stands at 36-13 with an 11-7 record in LSC play.  TSU falls to 21-23 overall with a 9-9 record in LSC play. 
The Lady Buffs will return home to take on NAIA member Lubbock Christian who is ranked #7 in the nation in a doubleheader on April 26.  First pitch from Lady Buff Yard is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.

Lady Buffs sweep St. Edwards

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The #23 ranked WTAMU Lady Buff softball team took a break from LSC play on April 19 to host the Lady Hilltoppers of St. Edwards University at Lady Buff Yard.

In game one, SEU came out with the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. WT responded with two runs in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead. The lead was increased to 4-1 after three complete innings.

SEU got one run back in the top of the fourth, but the Lady Buffs broke out the heavy hits in the bottom half of the inning highlighted by a grand slam from junior Meghan Brown to complete a five run inning and give the Lady Buffs a 9-2 lead. WT eventually came away with the 9-3 victory.

Junior Marci Womack picked up the win pitching for the Lady Buffs (17-6) and giving up two runs on five hits in 4.0 innings of work. Senior Chantel Pearson closed out the game with four strikeouts in the last three innings.

Game two did not go the distance as the Lady Buffs made quick work of the Lady Hilltoppers. Nine runs in the bottom of the third propelled WT to a 10-3 lead. The Lady Buffs added six more runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 16-3 game. SEU had no response and the game was called after five innings.

Sophomore Meghan Slattery hit a three-run homerun in the contest for the Lady Buffs. Junior Kim LeComte had six RBI on three hits including a homerun in the game.

Junior Shelbey Cockrell got the victory on the mound (17-6) giving up no runs on one hit with five strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work.

The Lady Buffs’ overall record now stands at 34-12. WT will now prepare for an LSC South series against Tarleton State on April 22-23. First pitch from TexAnn field is scheduled for 3 p.m. on April 22.

Lady Buffs shock #7 ACU

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Softball equipment. Courtesy of Creative Commons.org.

Softball equipment. Courtesy of Creative Commons.org.

Lady Buff yard played host to two ranked teams on the weekend of April 15-16 as the #23 ranked WTAMU Lady Buffs took on the #7 ranked Angelo State Rambelles in a three game series.

WT struck first in the bottom of the second inning in game one when junior Kristina Myles hit an RBI single to score Kaitlyn Witte to make it 1-0.  ASU however showed why they are ranked so high with four runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 4-1 lead.  Witte struck again in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to 4-3.  ASU though was one step ahead again and increased  the lead to 6-3 in the top of the sixth.  WT fought hard but eventually fell 7-4.

Junior Marci Womack was tagged with the loss (16-5) giving up four runs on three hits while striking out four batters in 4.2 innings of work.

WT responded in game two with a flurry.  After two complete innings the Lady Buffs were on top 3-0.  Angelo however, came back with four runs of their own and took the lead at 4-3.   In the bottom of the third the Lady Buffs retook the lead with three more runs to make the score 6-4.  Two more insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth propelled the Lady Buffs to an 8-4 victory.

Senior Kasey Henderson led the offense for the Lady Buffs with three RBI in the game followed by junior Kristina Myles with a two-run homer that sealed the game.

Womack picked up the victory on the mound for the Lady Buffs (16-6) giving up four runs on eight hits while striking out nine batters in the complete game effort.

The Lady Buffs claimed the series in game three thanks to a five run third inning.  WT held off the ASU rally and came away with a 5-3 victory.

Witte had another outstanding day at the plate highlighted by her second grand slam of the season and her sixth homerun of the year.

Junior Shelbey Cockrell picked up the victory pitching (16-6) giving up three runs on six hits while striking out seven in 6.0 innings of work.  Womack picked up the save (1).

WT’s overall record now stands at 32-12 overall with a 9-6 record in LSC play.  The Lady Buffs will play host to St. Edwards on April 19 in a doubleheader.  First pitch from Lady Buff Yard is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Buffs win series against ACU

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Bryce Baugh running to first base. Photo by Melissa Bauer-Herzog.

Bryce Baugh running to first base. Photo by Melissa Bauer-Herzog.

The Buffs gained momentum for the last two weekends of the season on April 15-16 as they won a three game series against Abilene Christian University 3-1.

On April 15, they led the Abilene Christian Wildcats 11-1, only allowing a run in the first inning of the night. The Buffs scored six runs in the first inning and continued the streak all game, scoring in all but two innings.

On April 16, they brought a double header against the Wildcats, and the Buffs carried on their winning ways from Friday night into Saturday as they won 13-8. Abilene Christian had no answer for the Buffs in the first inning as they had no runs on three hits. The Buffs scored three runs off of four hits in the first inning and continued rolling in the second with four runs from five hits.

Abilene Christian rallied back with five runs in the second, third, and fourth innings but it couldn’t stop the Buffs’ momentum as the Buffs had hits and runs in almost every inning.

The player that led WT at the plate was Jess Cooper, who went 3-for-4 with five RBI while teammate Trey Horn brought in three runs in the game. The Buffs won the first game of the double header 13-8.

The second game of the double header saw more fight from the Wildcats as they refused to go home quietly after having only three hits in the first four innings of play while the Buffs earned seven runs in the same amount of time with four runs coming in the first inning alone.

Abilene Christian struck back in the fifth with three runs and continued their roll, scoring ten runs in the second half of the nine inning game. The Buffs could only score twice in that time frame and left the fifth and sixth innings with no hits and only one player left on base.

The player that led WT at the plate was Jordan Eason who brought in four runs with two homeruns in the 10-9 loss.

“The first game was a good game. We’re playing well right now and we’ve got two big weeks after this,” Buffs Head Coach Matt Vanderburg said. “Right now, I feel pretty comfortable about how we’re going with our season.”

The Buffs’ record now stands at 29-14 overall for the season with a record of 16-11 in conference play. The Buffs travel to Angelo State University for a three game series on April 22-23 before returning home on April 29-30 to play Tarleton State University at Wilder Park.

Lady Buffs sweep A&M Kingsville

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Since beginning LSC South play, the #23 ranked WTAMU Lady Buffs have struggled to find their rhythm.  WT looked to turn things around April 8-9 as they traveled to Kingsville to take on the Javelinas of Texas A&M Kingsville.

In game one, the Lady Buffs scored four runs in the second inning and one in the third to take the early 5-0 lead.  Despite a furious comeback by Kingsville in the sixth and seventh innings, the Lady Buffs were able to hold on and claim the series opener 5-4.

The Lady Buff offense was led by sophomore Meghan Slattery who went 1-for-3 with two RBI.  Junior Whitney Midkiff went 2-for-3.

Junior Marci Womack picked up the win pitching for the Lady Buffs (14-5) giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out five in 6.1 innings of work.

WT kept the momentum going in game two as junior Kim LeComte hit a grand slam in the top of the fifth inning to help propel the Lady Buffs to a 5-2 victory.  Junior Shelbey Cockrell picked up the win on the mound for the Lady Buffs (14-6) giving up two runs on four hits while striking out 14 batters in the complete game win.

With the sweep on the horizon, the Lady Buffs put together a solid performance in the final game of the series.  RBI doubles by Slattery, LeComte, and freshman Alyssa Lemos helped WT get a 3-0 victory and the series sweep over Kingsville.

Marci Womack went 5.1 innings in picking up the win (15-5).  She gave up no runs on three hits while striking out four.  Shelbey Cockrell picked up the save (3) striking out four batters in 1.2 innings of work.

WT’s overall record now stands at 30-11 over•all with a 7-5 record in LSC play.  The Lady Buffs will return home for a showdown series with #10 ranked Angelo State on April 15-16.  First pitch from Lady Buff Yard is set for 4:00 p.m. with a doubleheader on April 15.

Buffs drop tight series to SOSU

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With only three series’ left in LSC play, every win is important for WTAMU Buffs if they are to make it into the conference tournament.  WT was looking to improve its position as they took on Southeastern Oklahoma State on April 8-9 in Durant, Oklahoma.

In game one, SOSU used a three run sixth inning to jump out to put the game away and come away with a 5-0 victory over the Buffs.

Junior Justin Kuks was tagged with the loss (6-3) giving up five runs on five hits with three strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work.

WT rebounded in the second game of the series.  Thanks to a 7-0 lead after two innings, the Buffs added two more runs to propel them•selves to a 9-3 victory.

Junior Eric Dorton led the offense for the Buffs going 2-for-4 with two RBI.  The highlight of Dorton’s day came in the sixth inning when he hit a solo homerun down the left field line.

Senior Jonathan Paez got the victory pitching for the Buffs (4-0).  He gave up three runs on five hits with four strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work.  Junior Josh Reyes made a relief appear•ance in the contest giving up no runs on two hits with four strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work.

Game three was a classic encounter as both teams were looking for the series victory.  After 1 • innings of play the game was tied at 1-1.  SOSU plated two runs in the bottom of the second to claim the 3-1 lead.  WT cut the lead to one in top of the fourth before the Savage Storm plated one more to keep the lead at 4-2.  In the top of the fifth the Buffs made it 4-3 be•fore eventually tying the game at 4-4 in the top of the eighth inning.

Unfortunately, the breaks just didn’t go WT’s way as SOSU used a walk-off single in the bot•tom of the 13th inning to claim the 5-4 victory.

Senior Trey Horn led the Buffs offense with two RBI on the day with Eric Dorton close be•hind with one RBI on the day.

Junior Josh Cordova picked up the loss (0-1) giving up one run on two hits in 1.1 innings of relief.

WT’s overall record now stands at 25-13 with a 14-10 record in LSC play.  The Buffs will return home for a single game matchup against Oklahoma Panhandle State on April 12.  First pitch from Wilder Park is set for 4 p.m.