WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Paige Gallegos was 3-for-3 with three singles, and
Megan Ayala drove in her fourth run of the season in the first inning, but No. 2-ranked West Texas A&M was relentless in a 20-1 victory at Mustangs Park on Tuesday night.
Heaven Moreno hit a three-run homer in a five-run first inning. Madison Johnson and Braeland Booth both hit two-run homers in a five-run second inning, and Lauren Granger hit a solo shot to lead off a four-run third inning. The Lady Buffs added three runs in the fourth and scored three more in the fifth.
West Texas A&M (15-1, 7-0) pounded out 19 hits, including seven doubles. Eight players drove in runs for the Lady Buffs, led by Moreno's five RBIs. Diana Murtha ran her season total to 26 RBIs with three in the opening game of a three-game series.
Murtha was 2-for-2 and raised her batting average to .714 for the season with two doubles, giving her 10 doubles for the campaign through 16 games.
The Lady Buffs extended their winning streak to 11 games and defeated the Mustangs for the 26th straight time.
The 20 runs is the second-most allowed by Midwestern State (2-17, 0-10) in the history of the program. In 2017, Southern Arkansas won a 10-inning game 22-17 at the West Florida Springs Tournament in Pensacola, Fla.
West Texas A&M scored the most runs by an LSC team this season and tied for the third most in NCAA Division II this season.
The seven doubles were the most ever against Midwestern State, and the 19 hits were the most allowed by MSU since Eastern New Mexico had 20 hits in a 14-5 victory seven years ago to the date.
West Texas A&M handed the Stangs their most lopsided defeat in program history.
The Lady Buffs had beaten MSU by 17 runs on two other occasions. In 2015, WT routed the Mustangs, 19-2, and three years later the Lady Buffs shut out MSU at Mustangs Park, 17-0.
Gallegos has five hits, four RBIs and three runs scored in her last two outings for the Mustangs, and she has raised her batting average to .281.
Allie Monroe had her team-leading 20th hit of the season, hitting her fifth double of the campaign in the first inning for the Mustangs.
The Mustangs hope to cool off the Lady Buffs on Wednesday as the two schools play a doubleheader to complete the three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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--MSUMustangs.com--
