SAN ANGELO, Texas (May 5, 2017) - Hazel Puempel of Texas Woman's University hit a walk-off two-run RBI to clinch a 3-2 win over Tarleton State during the Lone Star Conference Championship to advance the Pioneers into a matchup against the No. 1 seed and top-ranked team in the nation, Angelo State, where the Pioneers fell 3-0
Friday at Mayer Field in the night game during Day One of the tournament.
 
Texas Woman's 3, Tarleton State 2
 
The fourth-seeded Pioneers trailed fifth-seeded Tarleton State (35-20, 18-12 LSC) 2-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh with the extension of the conference postseason on the line. Abby Walker knocked out her second hit of the contest with a single to center field. Groundouts from Morgan Harrison and Logan Polasek pushed pinch runner Nicole Parnell to third base with two outs recorded.
 
Nicole Nordie then made it to first by way of a walk and stole second. Katy Stephens sent a ball down the left field line that hit the third baseman and made it first to load the bases. A high wild pitch tipped off of the catcher's glove with Puempel in the batter's box that allowed Parnell to make it home and advance Nordie and Stephens with the Pioneers trailing 2-1.
 
Puempel faced two outs on a 2-2 count with the game on the line before calmly sending a shot to right center to bring around Nordie and Stephens for the win.
 
The Pioneer defense started strong as TWU closed the top of the second on a double play from Harrison to Puempel and tallied another to end the top of the third on a catch by Walker and put out by Puempel to keep the game scoreless.
 
Tori Bice nearly had the first score of the contest in the bottom of the fourth as she sent a ball deep to the fence, but it sailed just wide of the left foul pole. Walker tallied her first hit of the day with a double to the right field fence in the bottom of the fifth, and a sacrifice hit by Harrison moved pinch runner Parnell to third. Logan Polasek reached on a fielder's choice, and as Parnell attempted to slide under the tag at home plate she was deemed out to maintain a 0-0 contest.
 
A single up the middle by the TSU in the top of the sixth moved runners to first and second. A deep triple to right center brought in both TexAnns for the first scores of the game and placed the Pioneers at a 2-0 deficit.
 
Walker (17-8) took the win on six hits and two walks.
 
No. 1 Angelo State 3, Texas Woman's 0
 
ASU (52-4, 26-3 LSC) held the Pioneers (32-19, 18-11 LSC) scoreless for the fourth time this year and to a season-low two hits. Fittingly, both occurrences happened most recently against the Belles in the March 25 matchup in a 4-0 loss at Angelo State.
 
The top-ranked Belles were the first to strike with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. ASU led off the bottom of the frame with a double to left center and followed up with a home run to center field that clanged off the flag pole for a 2-0 lead. A single and walk placed runners on first and second, and a single to center was coupled with a throwing error to allow another run in for a 3-0 Belle advantage.
 
The Pioneers pieced together some offense in the top of the fifth with a hit by Walker that landed deep into the center field turf and bounced over the fence for a ground rule double. A strike out and ground out was recorded before Nordie drove a ball to the warning track that was nabbed by an ASU outfielder.
 
Walker (17-9) suffered the loss while pitching three innings with two runs, a walk and a strikeout.
 
With the loss, the Pioneers now await their remaining postseason fate. Entering the LSC tournament, TWU was ranked sixth in the South Central Region with the top eight teams advancing to the regional tournament. The NCAA Division II Softball Selection Show will air Monday, May 8, at 9 am CST and can be watched at http://www.ncaa.com/live/player?vid=2017/3050&date=2017/05/08.