West Texas A&M scored three runs in the first inning en route to a 5-1 victory over Abilene Christian in the quarterfinals of the Lone Star Conference Softball Championship at Pioneer Field.
The Lady Buffs (35-17) move on to face the winner of the Angelo State and Cameron quarterfinal Saturday at 2:30 p.m., while the Wildcats (29-16) return to Abilene, hoping they'll still earn a berth in the NCAA Championship. The selection show airs Monday, April 30 at 9 a.m. CT on NCAA.com.
WTAMU turned the tables on ACU, who won all three regular-season games, with a strong start and a five-hit complete game performance by Marci Womack (20-10).
The Lady Buffs grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first off Wildcat starter Peyton Mosley (11-8). ACU recorded the first two outs, before Kim LeComte drew a walk and stole two bases before coming home on Meghan Brown's RBI double.
Two plays later, WTAMU’s Mallory Wyatt skied one to right field which ACU’s Lyndi Smith lost in the sun, leading to the second Lady Buffs' run. Another challenging fly ball gave WT a 3-0 lead.
Mosley nearly escaped the third, but with two outs and a runner at third, WTAMU’s Lacey Seidl scorched a RBI line drive. WT went up 4-0 on that hit, thus ending Mosley's outing after 2.2 innings pitched.
The Wildcats didn't score their first and only run until the sixth when Erin Gilliland drew a bases-loaded walk that plated Sara Vaughn.
WTAMU added an insurance run in the sixth as Seidl bunted her way on base and reached second on an errant throw. Then after the second out, Meghan Slattery lifted a high fly ball to left that got caught up in the wind and blown past Buckley's reach. Seidl scored on the hit to give WT its final run and 5-1 advantage.