SAN ANGELO, Texas (Mar. 20) –TWU junior pitcher
Hailey Dixon won both games of the doubleheader and helped the Pioneers to a 3-1 series win at No. 21 Angelo State. TWU won the first game 5-4 in eight innings before taking the second 10-7 for the sweep. The Pioneers are now 20-10 on the season and 9-3 in the Lone Star Conference.
In game one, ASU scored three times in the third inning to take a 3-0 lead. The Pioneers answered with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fourth to make it 3-2 and junior
Nicole Nordie stole home in the top of the fifth to make it 3-3.
The Rambelles regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth with an unearned run but TWU again tied the game in the top of the sixth. After a scoreless seventh, Nordie drew a bases loaded walk in the eight to put the Pioneers on top 5-4. Dixon, who came in relief in the third, sent the Rambelles in order in the bottom of the eight for the win.
In game two, the Pioneers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on a RBI single by Nordie and made it 2-0 in the second on a RBI double by junior
Katy Stephens. ASU tied the game in the third with two runs but TWU regained the lead in the fifth on another RBI by Nordie. The Rambelles answered in the bottom of the fifth with two runs to go on top 4-3.
The Pioneers sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the sixth and score seven runs to make it 10-4. Big hits of the inning came on a three-RBI triple by junior
Logan Polasek and two-RBI double by sophomore
Alexis Elizondo.
ASU scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 10-6 and scored a run in the seventh with a base loaded walk. The Rambelles put the tying run on base but a fly out ended the game. Dixon again came in relief and tossed 2.2 innings for the win.
"This is a great series win on the road against a top-25 team," said TWU head coach
Genny Stidham. "Hailey came in relief in both games and got us the wins. Our offense provided her the run support that she needed with key hits. We had lot of players that contributed on offense."
Freshman
Lindy Kennedy went 5-for-7 with four runs in the doubleheader while Stephens, senior
Tealey Farquhar and junior
Morgan Harrison finished with four hits each.
The Pioneers will return to action when they host Texas A&M-Commerce in a four-game series next weekend starting with a doubleheader on Friday, Mar. 25. The games are scheduled for 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. at Pioneer Field.
