WICHITA FALLS, Texas (Mar. 14) – TWU junior catcher Laura Mabary went 7-for-10 and drove in seven runs and Tori Bice, the Pioneers' sophomore pitcher, starred in the circle to lead TWU to a doubleheader sweep against Midwestern State.  The Pioneers claimed the first game 8-5 before winning a slug fest 13-11 in the second.
 
Bice started both games in the circle for TWU and improved her record to 8-7 on the season.  She also went 7-for-9 at the plate and drove in three runs.  Sophomore Alyssa Galaz drove in four TWU runs on the day while sophomore Nicole Nordie had three RBI for the Pioneers.
 
In the first game, the Pioneers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a RBI single by Mabary and a RBI double by Galaz.  TWU scored a run in the fourth inning to make it 3-0.  Bice led off the inning with a single and freshman Sydney Hester pinch ran for Bice.  After two ground outs, Hester scored from third on a passed ball.
 
The Mustangs scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth to make it 3-1 but TWU pushed the lead back to three runs with a run in the fifth.  Mabary started the inning with a double and scored on a ground out to make 4-1.  The Pioneers added two more in the sixth on RBI singles by Nordie and Mabary. 
 
MSU hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to make 6-2 but TWU again responded with two more runs in the top of the seventh.  Nordie and Mabary recorded RBI singles for the second straight inning to make it 8-2.  The Mustangs tried to put a rally together in the bottom of the seventh by scoring three runs with one out.  Bice got a pop up and a ground out to secure the win.
 
In game two, the Pioneers again jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.  Bice drove in both run on a two-out double to left center.  MSU answered in the bottom of the inning with three runs to take a 3-2 lead.
 
TWU regained the lead in the second with four runs.  Nordie tripled to left center with two outs to bring home the first run while Mabary followed with a single to score the second run.  After senior Kendra Sancet doubled, Galaz singled to bring home two more runs.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the third and fourth before trading a run in the fifth to make it 7-4.  The Pioneers scored their run on Bice's third RBI of the game.  TWU made it 8-4 in the top of the sixth on a RBI ground out by Mabary.  The Mustangs made it a one-run game with three runs in the bottom of the sixth.  MSU scored its runs on a RBI triple, an error and a solo home run.
 
The Pioneers added five runs in the top of the seventh inning to make a six-run lead, 13-7.  TWU scored its runs on a RBI single by senior Sarah Wittenburg, two-RBI single by Mabary and two-RBI double by Sancet.  The Mustangs did not go away quietly as they scored four runs with one out in the bottom of the inning to make it a two-run game.  Sophomore Katie Hickey came in relief and got two ground outs for the save.
 
"We bounced back in a big way," said TWU head coach Genny Stidham.  "This is a tough place to play and after losing the first two games of the series on Friday, these were two big wins to even the series.  Bice was outstanding in the circle and I am very proud of her for pitching both games when we needed her.  Offensively we had lot of players step up, especially Mabary and Bice.  They were tough outs to get."
 
TWU is now 12-12 on the season and 4-2 in the Lone Star Conference.  The Pioneers will return to action when they host #6 Angelo State in a four-game series on Thursday-Friday, Mar. 18-19.  TWU and the Rambelles will play a doubleheader on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and a doubleheader on Friday at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.