CANYON, Texas (Apr. 25) – The TWU softball team split a doubleheader at #2 West Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon to secure the second seed in next week's 2015 LSC Championship tournament.  The Pioneers won the first game 13-10 before WT walked-off with a 9-5 win in the nightcap.
 
TWU is now 25-19-2 on the season and 17-7-2 in the Lone Star Conference.  The Pioneers are .077 percentage points ahead of Tarleton State in the LSC standings and thus have locked up the second spot in next week's eight seed tourney.  The top two seeds in the tournament will receive a bye in the first round.  With the game two win, West Texas A&M has won the 2015 LSC regular season championship and will host the tournament as the top seed.
 
In game one, the Pioneers fell behind, 4-0, after two innings. WTAMU scored two runs in each of the first two innings before TWU scored five times in the top of the third.  After the Pioneers pushed their first run across the plate on a RBI single by junior Laura Mabary, sophomore Alyssa Galaz hit a grand slam down the right field line to make it 5-4.  The Lady Buffs tied the game at 5-5 with a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the third.
 
TWU regained the lead in top of the fourth inning.  Mabary's two-out single up the middle brought home two runs to give the Pioneers a 7-5 lead.  Galaz hit her second home run of the game to start the fifth inning to make it 8-5.  West Texas A&M again tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.
 
TWU responded in the top of the sixth with another grand slam.  With runners on second and third, the Lady Buffs intentionally walked Galaz to load the bases and freshman Tylia Sylestine followed with her seventh home run of the season to center field to clear the bases.
 
WTAMU made it 12-10 in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run home run but the Pioneers added an insurance run in the seventh.  Senior Kendra Sancet doubled to right center to bring home TWU's 13th run.
 
In game two, the Pioneers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning with two unearned runs.  Freshman Alexis Elizondo drove in the first run with single up the middle and senior Sarah Wittenburg scored the second run on a wild pitch.
 
After a scoreless third inning, the Lady Buffs took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning.  TWU responded with two runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 4-4.  Sophomore Nicole Nordie led off the inning with her sixth home run of the season.  Sylestine doubled to left center with two outs to tie the game.  The Pioneers went ahead 5-4 in the top of the seventh on a RBI double by Sancet.  WTAMU tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with an unearned run and then hit a grand slam to capture the win.
 
"We couldn't pull off the win in the second game but I am happy with the split," said TWU head coach Genny Stidham.  "I am proud of the girls for locking up the second seed in the LSC tournament.  Getting a bye in the first round is huge since it's a single-elimination tournament.  We had lot of girls that came up with big hits today.  Aly and Tylia hit big home runs in the first game."
 
Galaz and Sylestine both drove in five runs each in the doubleheader while Mabary finished 4-for-8 with three runs and three RBI.  Sophomore Tori Bice picked up her 17th win of the season in game one after pitching 4.1 innings.  She allowed two earned runs and struck out four batters.
 
The Pioneers and the Lady Buffs will wrap-up the regular season with another doubleheader on Sunday, Apr. 26 at Schaeffer Park.  The games are scheduled for 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.