CONROE, Texas (Feb. 6, 2022) – In a double header game day on Sunday at the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational, the Texas Woman's University softball team split the day—earning their first win of the season against Southern Nazarene University.
 
TWU (1-2) lost to Arkansas Tech University (2-2) in their first game of the day, 6-0. Following their loss, they responded with a win over SNU (0-3), 8-3.
 
In their early afternoon game against Arkansas Tech, Julianne Malis (0-2) got the start on the pitcher's mound for the Pioneers. TWU recorded three hits in the loss, one from three different Pioneers – Nya Brown, Da'Jia Davis and Alexys Ginegaw.
 
The Pioneers then had a short reprieve before taking the field on Sunday night against SNU.
 
TWU immediately changed the tone from their first game, opening the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with two runs. Jalee McDonald hit a ball to shortstop, but was grounded out; nevertheless, it allowed Lily Wilson to advance to third base and Brown to score. Wilson helped put herself in a good position, after stealing second base earlier in the inning.
 
After Brown scored, Jennifer Romero (0-1), SNU's pitcher, walked Missy Wise and Wilson scored on a wild pitch.
 
In the bottom of the second inning, Wilson aided in adding to the Pioneers lead by hitting a single RBI, allowing Ginegaw the opportunity to score. Ginegaw's run would be the Pioneers lone run of the second inning. Nevertheless, they continued their offensive dominance in the third and fourth inning.
 
TWU's fourth run of the game came when Gracelyn Taylor got hit by pitch with the bases loaded and Briana Yale scored. For the Pioneers fifth run, Brown, who had two hits in the game, stepped up to bat with the bases loaded and hit a single to the pitcher, runners advanced, and Yale crossed home plate for the Pioneers fifth run of the game.
 
The Pioneers final three runs happened in the bottom of the fourth inning. Yale singled to center field and SNU was slow on the throw, so Yale advanced to second and Davis scored. Next, Taylor grounded out to second base, but recorded her second career RBI after McDonald scored. The Pioneers final run came from a Ginegaw single to the SNU shortstop and Yale scored her second run of the game.
 
McDonald (1-0) was the starting Pioneer pitcher against SNU. She held the Crimson Storm scoreless for the first four innings of play. She threw three strikeouts and only allowed five hits. McDonald started the fifth inning, faced two batters, and gave up the first two runs of the game.
 
Kelsie Briggs entered the game to pitch for TWU in the fifth. Briggs threw 46 pitches, including one strikeout to record her first save of the season.
 
Brown, Ginegaw, McDonald and Wilson each recorded two hits in the win, and Yale finshed with one hit.
"After the first game today, not only did we challenge the players, but they challenged each other to come out and compete from the first pitch," TWU head coach Amber Barker said. "They did just that by bringing all facets of the game. For the first win of the season, it was great to see a complete team win."
 
The Pioneers will play their final games of the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational tomorrow morning, Monday, Feb. 7. They will face Southeastern Oklahoma State at 9 a.m. and Rogers State University at 11 a.m.