The WTAMU Buffalo baseball team continued their season hosting the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers for a four-game series from Feb. 16-17. After weather delays pushed the first game back, the Buffs and Orediggers played two doubleheaders in which WT won three of the four games.
The Buffs got the scoring in the first game of the doubleheader on Feb. 16 starting in the third inning when junior Beto Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly and senior Justin Henderson hit a two-run single to give WT a 3-0 lead. The Buffs went on to win the game 4-1.
Senior Ryan Houston (1-0) got the win for WT, going seven innings and giving up one run on three hits and six strikeouts in the game. Henderson ended the game one for three at the plate with two RBIs, and junior Patrick Ramirez went two for three on the afternoon with one RBI.
After the Buffs got runs in the first and third innings of the second game of the afternoon, WT broke the game open with a five-run fifth. Junior Tyler McKnight’s RBI single and a two-run single by senior Tate Baker plated the first three runs of the inning, and a throwing error by the Colorado School of Mines third baseman allowed the Buffs to score two more runs and cruise their way to a 7-0 win.
Junior Nick Duncan (2-0) got the win, going seven innings and giving up no runs on four hits with six strikeouts. Baker and Henderson were both two for five with two RBIs on the afternoon.
Strong pitching dominated early in the first game on Feb. 17, but the Buffs started the scoring with an RBI double by senior Parker Wood in the fourth. After the Orediggers left the bases loaded in both the third and sixth innings, WT scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth capped off by an inside the park homer by Baker for the 5-1 win.
Senior Billy Gonzalez (2-0) got the win after pitching 1.1 innings of relief and giving up no runs on two hits. Wood finished the game two for three with an RBI and Baker hit one for three with two RBIs.
Colorado School of Mines was able to score first in the final game of the series on an RBI double by Travis Ramos in the second. After an RBI double by senior Jarvis Smith tied the game in the bottom of the inning, the Orediggers reclaimed the lead on an RBI single by Evan Brown in the fourth. An RBI double by senior Spenser Smith in the bottom of the fourth brought the game back to 2-2, but the Orediggers would get a run on a sacrifice bunt in the sixth and an RBI double by Shane Johnson in the seventh to salvage the series and pickup the 4-1 win.
Junior Sam Ouellet (0-1) got the loss after 2.1 innings of relief and giving up two runs on six hits. Jarvis Smith went one for three with an RBI and Spenser Smith finished the game two for four at the plate with an RBI.
The Buffs are off to a 6-2 start early in the season. WT is scheduled to host the University of the Southwest for a doubleheader on Feb. 19 after the two games scheduled the week before were cancelled on account of snow. First pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m.
