KINGSVILLE, Texas (Mar. 14) –The TWU softball team won the first game of Saturday evening's doubleheader, 10-2, in six innings to capture the series against Texas A&M-Kingsville.  Game two was halted in the sixth inning due to lightning and will result in a 1-1 tie.
 
The Pioneers are now 20-18-2 on the season and 12-6-2 in the Lone Star Conference.
 
In game one, the Pioneers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on senior Kendra Sancet's solo home run to center field.  The long ball was her team leading 12th of the season and the 54th of her career.  TAMUK tied the game in the bottom of the first and took a 2-1 lead in the second on a bases loaded walk.
 
TWU regained the lead, 3-2, in the third on a two-RBI single by Sancet with two outs.  The Pioneers added two more runs in the fourth on a RBI single by sophomore Tori Bice and a RBI double by sophomore Nicole Nordie. 
 
TWU made it 6-2 in the fifth on a single by freshman Tylia Sylestine before scoring four runs in the sixth.  The Pioneers sent eight batters to the plate and recorded four singles, a walk and a hit by pitch.  Sylestine and sophomore Alyssa Galaz both recorded RBI singles in the inning.
 
TWU junior pitcher Bailee Wortham, who came in relief in the third inning, tossed four shutout innings for to record her sixth win of the season.  She allowed just two hits.  Sancet finished the game 2-for-2 with three RBI and three runs while Sylestine went 3-for-4 with two RBI.  Junior Tealey Farquhar also went 3-for-3.
 
In game two, both teams traded unearned runs in the second inning.  TWU freshman Alexis Elizondo scored on a RBI groundout by Nordie.  TAMUK tied the game with one out on back-to-back errors by TWU.
 
After three scoreless innings, the game was halted in the top of the sixth inning due to lightning.  With rain in the forecast for the rest of the night and all day Sunday, the game will end in a tie.
 
"Once again we pitched well today," said TWU head coach Genny Stidham.  "Bailee was outstanding after coming in relief in the first game.  She pitched four shutout innings and then pitched five quality innings in game two.  Offensively we played well in the first game but missed out on some opportunities in the second game and got thrown out at home twice.  Overall we had a good series with three wins and a tie."
 
The Pioneers will return to Denton to host their final regular season home series against Eastern New Mexico on Apr. 17-18.  TWU will take on the Zias in a doublehader on Friday, Apr. 17, at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. before closing out the four-game series on Saturday, Apr. 18, at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.