DENTON, Texas (Apr. 19) – The TWU softball team captured two 8-0 run-rule wins on Senior Day to complete a four-game sweep against Eastern New Mexico.  With the two wins, the Pioneers improved to 24-18-2 on the season and 16-6-2 in the Lone Star Conference.
 
Between games of the doubleheader,  the 2015 TWU softball senior class – Kendra Sancet and Sarah Wittenburg – were honored with a Senior Day ceremony.
 
TWU sophomore pitcher Tori Bice started both games of the doubleheader for the second straight day and again picked up both wins.  Sophomore Alyssa Galaz was the Pioneers' leader on offense going 3-for-5 with four runs and three RBI on the day.  Playing in their final regular season doubleheader at Pioneer Field, Sancet went 2-for-3 with three walks, three runs and a RBI while Wittenburg finished 1-for-3 with three RBI.
 
In game one, the Pioneers were hitless through the first two innings before junior Tealey Farquhar doubled to left center with one out in the third.  She stole third and later scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Nicole Nordie.  Sancet brought home the Pioneers' second run with a double before Galaz hit her seventh home run of the season to make 4-0.
 
TWU scored four more runs in the fifth inning.  Junior Laura Mabary doubled to left center to bring home two runs and Bice ended the game with a two-RBI double with two outs.
 
Bice pitched four innings for her 15th win of the season in game one while junior Bailee Wortham came in relief and tossed the final inning.
 
In game two, the Pioneers took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.  Mabary singled with one out, moved to third on Sancet's single and scored on Galaz's sacrifice fly.
 
After a scoreless second inning, TWU added two more runs in the bottom of the third to make it 3-0.  With bases loaded and one out, Wittenburg doubled down the right field line to bring home both runs.  The Pioneers batted around in the fourth and scored five runs with two outs to make it 8-0.  Bice drew a bases loaded walk for the first run before Wittenburg was hit by pitch to force in another run.  Sophomore Katy Stephens followed with double to left field to clear the bases. 
 
In the top of the fifth, Bice got two ground outs before striking out the final batter for her 16th win of the year.  It was her third complete-game and second shutout of the weekend.  Bice pitched 21 of the 22 innings in the series and allowed just one unearned run.
 
"Tori pitched extremely well for the second straight day," said TWU head coach Genny Stidham.  "She was tired and didn't throw as hard as she did yesterday but she got ahead of the hitters and came away with four wins this weekend.  Aly did a great job batting behind Kendra.  They did not pitch to Kendra and walked her three times.  Aly made them pay with big hits and she has done that in quite a few games now.  You need to have somebody behind Kendra that can do that.  Aly has taken that role and she loves it."
 
The Pioneers will now travel west to Canyon, TX, to close out their regular season against #2 West Texas A&M on April 24-25.  TWU and WT will play a doubleheader on Friday, Apr. 24, at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. before closing out the regular season with another twin bill on Saturday, Apr. 25 at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.