DENTON, Texas (Apr. 6)
– TWU senior first baseman
Kendra Sancet hit her 53rd career home run to set a new school record and drove in five runs in a doubleheader sweep of #25 Cameron. The Pioneers won the first game, 10-5, before taking the night cap, 8-5, on Thursday night at Pioneer Field.
Sancet broke
Katie Hines' record (52) with a first inning home run in game two. She finished the day 3-for-6 with five RBI and three runs scored. TWU sophomore
Alyssa Galaz hit her fifth long ball of the season in the first game while TWU freshman
Tylia Sylestine blasted her fourth of the season in the second game. Freshman
Alexis Elizondo went 3-for-5 with four runs and two RBI for the Pioneers.
"I hate to see her (Hines) record go because we are good friends but I wanted to break the home run record ever since I came to school," said Sancet. "I hope I can hit more home runs before the end of the season."
Junior
Bailee Wortham and sophomore
Tori Bice shared the pitching duties in both games for the Pioneers. Wortham picked up the win in game two while Bice captured the victory in game one and recorded a save in the second.
After two scoreless innings in game one, Cameron took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the top of the third. The Pioneers responded in the bottom of the inning with six runs on seven hits highlighted by Galaz's three-run shot to left center. Sophomore
Nicole Nordie drove in the first run to tie the game before Sancet put TWU on top with two-RBI single before Galaz's home run.
The Pioneers added a run in the fourth on a RBI double by Nordie to take a 7-1 lead before CU scored a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to make it 7-4. TWU put the game away with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Elizondo and junior
Laura Mabary each drove in a run while sophomore
Katy Stephens scored the third run on a wild pitch. The Aggies scored their fifth run in the top of the seventh with two outs.
Wortham started the game in the circle and tossed 2.1 innings. Bice came in relief and pitched 4.2 innings for her 10th win of the season.
In game two, Cameron jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Pioneers cut the deficit in half on Sancet's record breaking home run with a runner on second. TWU tied the game in the second after Elizondo and Nordie each drove in a run.
The Aggies went back on top 5-4 with an unearned run in the top of the third but the Pioneers answered in the bottom of the inning. With runners on second and third with one out, Sylestine hit a monster home run over the scoreboard in right center field to give TWU a 7-5 lead. The Pioneers added an insurance run in the fourth on a RBI double by Sancet.
Wortham again started in the circle in game two and pitched five innings for her fourth win of the year. Bice tossed the final two innings for the Pioneers and picked up her third save of the season.
"It's nice to have two consecutive wins," said TWU head coach
Genny Stidham. "We haven't had that in a while and maybe we can take some pressure off when we come back tomorrow. Both Bailee and Tori pitched well tonight and that was the key. We are capable of scoring runs on offense but can't get frustrated with what happens on defense. In the last few games that hasn't bothered us much."
The Pioneers and the Aggies will play a doubleheader on Friday, Apr. 3, at Pioneer Field to wrap-up the series. The games are scheduled for 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. Friday's twin bill has been dubbed
Good Friday Fest, as all spectators will receive FREE jelly beans. There will also be an Easter coloring contest, a hopscotch contest, and a FREE postgame Easter egg hunt immediately following game two on the Pioneer Field outfield for children in 5th grade and below.
