Buffs take two out of three from Bronchos improve to 4-1 on the season. The WTAMU baseball team finally got to open up LSC play on Feb. 12-13 against Central Oklahoma at Wilder Park in Canyon.
Before the first game of the series got underway, WTAMU President Dr. J. Patrick O’Brien and David Wilder threw out the first pitch to officially celebrate the opening of the new baseball park at the Buffalo Sports Complex.
WT used the momentum of the occasion to blowout the Bronchos in seven innings 19-6. UCO took a 5-0 lead in the top of the third before the Buffs reclaimed the lead in the bottom half at 6-5. The Buffs scored 13 runs over the next three innings to put the game out of reach and claim their first conference victory of the season.
Junior Justin Kuks picked up his second victory of the season (2-0) on the mound for the Buffs going five innings giving up six runs on eight hits while striking out five batters. Fellow junior Zach Walker finished the game in relief allowing no runs on three hits with one strikeout.
Feb. 13 saw the Buffs and Bronchos play a doubleheader. In the first game of the day the Buffs claimed a 3-2 victory thanks to a double off the left field wall by senior Trey Horn in the bottom of the seventh inning. Horn also led the way for the Buffs offense on the day going 2 for 3 with two RBI. Junior Irving Camacho picked up the victory on the mound for the Buffs giving up two runs on three hits while striking out seven to pick up the complete game win.
WT wasn’t so fortunate in the second game as the Bronchos bats got hot early as they handed the Buffs their first defeat of the season with a 13-2 defeat. Junior Jordan Easom went 1 for 3 on the day for the Buffs with an RBI double. Fellow junior Casey Lish was tagged for the loss giving up six runs on six hits in just 0.2 innings of work.
WT’s overall record now stands at 4-1 with a 2-1 record in LSC play. The Buffs will now take a break from conference action to play a rescheduled doubleheader against University of the Southwest on Feb. 15. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. from Hobbs, New Mexico.
