Cameron Athletics
Kenton Means, Sports Information Director
LAWTON – The Cameron University softball team made history on Thursday night, as they swept a doubleheader against No. 6 West Texas A&M with 8-0 and 2-1 wins.
With the pair of wins, the Aggies clinched the program’s first series win over the Lady Buffs in the all-time series history that dates back to 2006. CU has also now won three straight against WT, as they beat them in the NCAA South Central Regional last May.
The Black and Gold were led in the doubleheader by great pitching performances, and that started with a complete game shutout from Rylee Willmon in the opener.
A senior from Luther, Okla., Willmon held the Lady Buffs to just four hits, while walking four and striking out five. She also stranded eight WT runners on base to secure her sixth win of the season.
Cameron’s bats gave Willmon a lead early scoring a one in both the second and third innings. In the second, Abbey Warrenled off the inning with a single and then moved to third on a Raley Long double. In the next at-bat, Alyssa Osterdock drove in her fellow senior on a sacrifice fly to center field to give CU a 1-0 lead.
The Aggies went up 2-0 in the bottom of the third as Brenna Busby hit her ninth homer of the season, a deep-shot to left field.
In the bottom of the fourth, CU doubled their lead thanks to a trio of hits. Long and Osterdock led off the frame with a pair of singles and then advanced a bag via a sacrifice bunt from Erycka Pierce. CU head coach Dennis Furr then went to his bench with Kylie French pinch-hitting for Kaylyn Smith. The freshman delivered a clutch RBI single to left field to allow Long to cross the plate. Smith re-entered to run at first and stole second, allowing B. Busby to walk and load the bases. Khmari Edwardsthen hit a ground ball to short, which resulted in a fielder’s choice that allowed Osterdock to score.
WT’s biggest threat came in the top of the fifth. Ruby Salzman singled with one out and then two batters later Miranda Grotenhuise walked to put two on for their best hitter, Kylie Moore. Furr rolled the dice and put Moore on via the walk to load the bases up 4-0 on the scoreboard. Willmon once again was able to work out of trouble, stranding all three runners after a strikeout of Shayne Starkey.
Cameron then lit WT up for four runs in the bottom of the frame to earn the run-rule victory. In that half-inning, Kacie Gilreathdelivered a pinch-hit RBI single to bring in the first run and then B. Busby singled through the left side to drive in the second. Edwards ended the game with a walk-off two RBI single up the middle to give CU their eighth run.
The Black and Gold totaled 13 hits in game one, with three each from Long and B. Busby. Edwards drove in three of CU’s eight runners, while B. Busby drove in two more and Long scored a pair.
In the nightcap, the Aggies scored their two runs in the opening frame. A walk and a pair of singles to open the bottom of the first loaded the bases for the red-hot Callie Busby. The CU backstop singled through the left side of the infield to drive in her sister, B. Busby, and Edwards to give Breley Webb a two-run advantage in the circle.
Webb only need one of those runs through the first six innings. The freshman gave up just two hits, walked three, and struck out five through from the first through the sixth frame.
CU’s ERA leader recorded one out to open the top of the seventh, but a walk, wild pitch, and single put runners on first and second for WT’s leadoff hitter Starkey. Starkey flied out to left field, allowing the runner from third to cross the plate and cut the CU lead in half. Another wild pitch and a single put runners on first and third again, this time with two outs and Grotenhuis coming to the plate. Furr brought in Bethany Hines in relief and she got the Lady Buff three-hole hitter to fly out to left field to end the game.
Webb earned her fifth win of the season, while Hines recorded her fourth save of 2019. The duo combined to leave eight WT runners on the base paths.
Cameron had just five this on offense, all from five different players with C. Busby driving in the two runs on her single in the first inning.
The pair of wins improve the Aggies to 21-10 overall and 8-6 in Lone Star Conference play, while WT moves to 22-8 overall and 13-4 against league opponents.
Cameron will look to sweep the season series as the two teams play the finale of the three-game slate on Friday at 2 p.m.