CANYON, Texas (Mar. 14) – A pair of four-run innings helped the TWU softball team defeat Tarleton State, 9-1, in five innings in a quarterfinal game at the 2015 LSC Championship.  With the win, the Pioneers will advance to the tournament's championship game on Saturday, May 2, at 2:00 p.m. at Schaeffer Park in Canyon, TX.
 
Four TWU players finished with multiple hits in the win over the TexAnns led by junior Tealey Farquhar who went 2-for-3 with three RBI.  Senior Sarah Wittenburg batted 2-for-2 with three runs and a RBI while sophomore Tori Bice and Nicole Nordie both went 2-for-3.  Sophomore Alyssa Galaz also drove in two runs with her 11th home run of the year.  Bice started in the circle for the Pioneers and tossed a complete game for her 19th win of the season.
 
The Pioneers fell behind early in the top of the first inning after Tarleton State started the game with three straight singles to load the bases with no outs.  After a fielder's choice force out at the plate, the TexAnns took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly.
 
After a quiet bottom of the first, TWU batted around in the bottom of the second to score four runs and take a 4-1 lead.  Galaz scored an unearned run to tie the game at 1-1 before Wittenburg singled up the middle to put the Pioneers on top 2-1.  With runners on second and third, Nordie singled to right field to drive in two more runs with two outs.
 
After a scoreless third inning, TWU added a run in the fourth to make 5-1.  With the runner on second and one out, Farquhar singled to right center to bring home the run. 
 
The Pioneers added four runs in the bottom of the fifth to capture the run-rule victory.  Senior Kendra Sancet led off the inning with a single and Galaz followed with two-run shot to left field to make it 7-1.  TWU put runners on second and third with one out and Farquhar ended the game with a walk-off double to left center.
 
"Tori struggled in the first inning but bounced back to shut them down in the next four innings," said TWU head coach Genny Stidham.  "Our entire lineup had at least one hit and we had some big hits with runners on base.  Tealey's two-out double in the fifth was huge because you need to end the game when you have a chance."
 
The Pioneers will face the winner of the second semifinal game between West Texas A&M and Cameron in the championship game on Saturday.