SAN ANGELO, Texas (March 24, 2017) - The pitching staff of Abby Walker and Hailey Dixon held No. 1 Angelo State to two total hits and TWU's offense collected 12 hits against the Rambelles, but the Pioneers fell 4-2 to ASU Friday evening at Mayer Field.
 
Walker and Dixon suppressed the Rambelle bats by holding them to a .105 hitting percentage, .223 below their season average, and the four runs scored were nearly three under their 6.9 scoring average. The offense for TWU stung ASU for a .414 hitting percentage, .232 above what the Rambelles normally allow.
 
Nordie characteristically led off the game with a hit, and a sacrifice bunt by Katy Stephens advanced her to second. Hazel Puempel sent the ball past a diving second baseman to give Nordie time to sprint to third and make it home, but she was called out on the slide. Tylia Sylestine singled to left field, and Tori Bice placed one to right field to load the bases. Alexis Elizondo singled to right to score Sylestine for a 2-0 TWU lead.
 
The Rambelles began their offense with a walk and made it to second by way of a sacrifice bunt. A home run to left center tied the game at 2-2.
 
Tara Solomon singled to third base in the top of the second before Nordie positioned a sacrifice bunt to move her to third. Stephens made it to first on a walk but a groundout left the runners stranded. Walker threw nine strikes on 13 pitches to retire ASU's three batters in the bottom of the inning.
 
Bice garnered her second single of the day in the third, and a sacrifice bunt by Elizondo advanced pinch runner Logan Polasek. Walker and Morgan Harrison each produced a walk, but a third out prevented any Pioneer scoring opportunities. Walker struck out two more and Sylestine grabbed a foul ball to send the Rambelles back into the dugout.
 
A walk to Sylestine in the fourth moved Puempel to second, and a walk to Bice filled the bases for TWU. With two outs on the board, a fly out ended the inning. ASU knocked a home run to take a 3-2 lead and had a runner on third, but Puempel secured a pop out and Walker notched a strikeout to prevent more runs.
 
Singles by Stephens and Puempel started off the top of the sixth. With two outs recorded, Elizondo sent a single to left field to load the bases, but a strikeout concluded the inning.
 
The Rambelles had runners on first and second resulting from being hit by a pitch and a walk. Nicole Parnell snagged a deep ball in right field for the first out, but a Pioneer throwing error scored one for ASU and put runners on first and second. Nordie caught a tough line drive to center and Parnell grabbed another fly out to right to finish the inning.
 
Harrison drew a walk in the top of the seventh before a strike out tallied the first out. Nordie propelled a shot to center field that showed promise but was nabbed by the outfielder, and a final strikeout ended TWU's bid for an upset.
 
Walker (10-3) took the loss with two hits on three earned runs, seven strikeouts and three walks.
 
The Pioneers continue the series against the Rambelles tomorrow in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.