DENTON, Texas (Feb. 15, 2017) - Texas Woman's University split its 2017 home opener series with Oklahoma Christian with a 1-0 win and 8-0 loss against the Lady Eagles Wednesday at Pioneer Field.
 
Texas Woman's 1, Oklahoma Christian 0
 
Two OC errors proved costly early as Nicole Nordie drew a walk to begin the contest before stealing second and then advancing to third on a miscue by the second baseman. Madison Hagood struck out the next two Pioneers, but a second error on the Lady Eagles allowed Nordie to reach home for the first, and only, score of the game.
 
Chelsie McClure recorded the second hit for the Pioneers (8-5) in the bottom of the second with a single to the shortstop. Alexis Elizondo pushed McClure to second by way of a sacrifice bunt, but two more TWU outs ended the frame. The Pioneers registered back-to-back walks in the third but were unable to capitalize by leaving both runners stranded.
 
After consecutive innings of three up, three down for OC, Haley Squier singled to left field and stole second but was left on base. The Lady Eagles (7-5) again placed on runner on second base in the fifth with a walk and a sacrifice bunt before an Abby Walker threw a strikeout to end any scoring chance.
 
Hazel Puempel sent a single to the shortstop in the sixth and Tori Bice knocked one up the middle to send in Hailey Dixon to pinch run. Dixon made her way to second as Puempel was caught stealing at third, and a groundout was then recorded for out number three.
 
The Pioneer defense tallied three straight outs against OC in the top of the seventh to finish game one.
 
Walker (4-1) took the win on two hits, three walks and three strikeouts.
 
Oklahoma Christian 8, Texas Woman's 0
 
TWU's first inning at bat seemed promising as Nordie earned a walk before Katy Stephens singled to push Nordie up a base. A walk to Tylia Sylestine placed runners on each bag, but Nordie was caught at home for the second out of the inning, and a groundout left three Pioneers abandoned.
 
In the second inning with OC runners on second and third, Bice chalked up a strikeout before Stephens stretched out to grab a grounder and sail it to first base to end any scoring chances for the Lady Eagles. The Pioneers wound up leaving a runner on base in the bottom half of the frame.
 
The Lady Eagles put it on the Pioneers in the top of the third beginning with a walk and consecutive singles to load the bases. A TWU error allowed the first run in and an RBI single to left field added another. A center field single plated two more for a 4-0 OC advantage. The Lady Eagles dropped back-to-back hits to shallow left field to bring in two more runs to up the lead to 6-0. OC and TWU each registered a hit in the fourth but were unable to benefit, and each team tallied three straight outs in the fifth.
 
Niki Davidson of OC sailed a shot down the right field line off of the glove of a Pioneer to bring in a run, and the Lady Eagles added another score to a make it an 8-0 ballgame.
 
TWU attempted to extend the game in the bottom of the sixth with a Sylestine walk and a bunt single by Puempel. A sacrifice bunt by Bice placed the runner on second and third, but a strikeout and groundout concluded the evening.
 
Bice (1-4) suffered the loss with six runs (two earned) on five hits, one walk and one strikeout.
 
The Pioneers host their first conference series of the season as Cameron comes to visit Friday at 4 p.m. for a doubleheader and Saturday with a single game at noon.