Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MELBOURNE, Fla. (Jan. 29) – The TWU softball team dropped a pair of game on the opening day of the 2016 season at the Florida Tech/Marriott Kickoff Classic in Melbourne, FL.  The Pioneers fell to the host Florida Tech 2-0 in the opener and then dropped a 5-2 decision to Lynn.
 
In the opener, TWU put pressure on the Panthers in the top of the first inning with two singles but a double play and a popup ended the threat.  The Pioneers were held hitless for the next five innings until junior Nicole Nordie doubled in the seventh.
 
FIT scored its first run in the bottom of the first and then added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Junior Tori Bice started in the circle and pitched a complete game for the loss.  Nordie finished with two of the three Pioneer hits.
 
In the second game, Lynn scored a run in the top of the first, top of the second and top of the fourth to take a 3-0 lead.  The Pioneers put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth to make it 3-2.  After a groundout and a strikeout, TWU had four straight singles including a two-RBI single by Nordie.
 
The Fighting Knights pushed the lead back to three runs in the top of the seventh with a pair of unearned runs.  The Pioneers brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh with a one out single but a groundout and fly out ended the game.
 
Junior Hailey Dixon made her debut with TWU and pitched 5.1 innings in the circle for the loss.  Freshman Lindy Kennedy also made her collegiate debut and batted 2-for-3 with a run.
 
Nordie and senior Tealey Farquhar both finished the day with three hits each in the two games.
 
"We are off to a tough start to the season," said TWU head coach Genny Stidham.  "Offensively we couldn't get anything going until the fifth inning of the second game.  Our pitchers pitched well but we did not help them out with any run support.  Good thing is that we still have three more games this weekend and we need to regroup."
 
The Pioneers will return to action with two more game on Saturday, Jan. 30.  TWU will face Flagler at 5:00 p.m. (CST) and Palm Beach Atlantic at 7:00 p.m. (CST).