TUCSON, Ariz. (Feb. 8) – The TWU softball team dropped both games on the final day of the NFCA Division II Lead-Off Classic.  The Pioneers fell to Molloy, 3-0, before losing to Regis, 8-5.
 
Senior Kendra Sancet went 4-for-7 and drove in two runs in the two games while sophomore Alyssa Galaz batted 2-for-6 with two RBI.  Both of Galaz's hits went for extra bases, including her first home run of the season.  Junior Bailee Wortham pitched in both games in relief and tossed 8.2 innings while striking out five batters.
 
In game one against Molloy, the Pioneers managed just three hits and were shutout for the first time this season.  TWU also left five base runners in the loss.
 
In the second game against Regis, the Pioneers scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead.  Sancet drove in the first two runs on a double and later scored on an error.  The Rangers made it 3-1 in the second with an unearned run before sending 10 batters to the plate in the third to score five runs.  Regis added to its lead in the sixth with two more runs.  The Pioneers made it 8-5 in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run home run by Galaz.
 
"Our offense struggled today compared to the last two days," said TWU head coach Genny Stidham.  "We couldn't get anything going offensively against Molloy and then had the lead against Regis but could not hold it.  Bailee Wortham pitched well not only today but the entire weekend.  This is not the way we wanted to start the season but we need to put it behind us.  We will work hard in practice this week and try to fix all the mistakes we made.  We are playing six South Central Regional teams next weekend at the West Texas A&M tournament and we need to be ready."
 
The Pioneers will return to action when they travel to Canyon, TX, to play in the WT Woodward Invitational on Feb. 13-15.  TWU will face Adams State and Colorado State-Pueblo on Friday, Chadron State and Colorado Mesa on Saturday, and Metro State and Colorado School of Mines on Sunday.