PALM BAY, Fla. (Jan. 31) –The TWU softball team dropped the final game of the Florida Tech/Marriott Kickoff Classic to the host FIT, 4-3, Sunday afternoon.  The Pioneers will leave The Sunshine State with a 1-4 record.
 
The Panthers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.  After a scoreless second, TWU scored three runs in the third to take a 3-1 lead.  Five of the first six batters reached on singles.  Senior Tealey Farquhar gave the Pioneers a 2-1 lead with a two-RBI single followed by senior Laura Mabary with a RBI single.
 
FIT tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with two runs.  The Panthers loaded the bases to start the inning on two walks and hit-by-pitch followed by a RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly.
 
After a scoreless fifth and sixth, FIT started the bottom of the seventh with a double and a hit-by-pitch.  TWU intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases but the Panthers walked off with the win on a hit-by-pitch.
 
"This was a tough loss and we are off to a slow start to the season," said TWU head coach Genny Stidham.  "We had one good inning offensively today with number of base hits.  Other than that we weren't able to put together a rally."
 
Farquhar finished the tournament with a team-best .444 batting average, four runs and five RBI.  Junior Nicole Nordie also had a .438 batting average and four RBI while junior Logan Polasek batted .400 and scored two runs.
 
"Tealey and Nordie had a great weekend," said Stidham.  "They carried us offensively in this tournament."
 
The Pioneers will return to action when they travel to Magnolia, AR, to play in the Southern Arkansas University Tournament on Feb. 6-7.  TWU will face Rogers State, Newman, Lincoln, Southwest Baptist and the host SAU in the three-day tournament.