ARKADELPHIA, Ark. (Feb. 13, 2024) - The Texas Woman's softball team collected a win and a loss on the road against Henderson State on Tuesday, Feb. 13 for their first double-header of the season with a party of home runs in Arkadelphia, Ark.

HSU (4-5) was the first opponent for the Pioneers (2-5) after kicking off their season at the DII First Pitch Invitational on Feb. 2-4. 

The non-conference double-header started with a very close loss for the Pioneers, which finished 3-2. 

HSU took the lead at the bottom of the third with a home run down the left field line by Jorika Alvarez. The Pioneers responded with a run in the fifth and sixth inning and took the temporary lead (2-1).

Lauryn Davis hit a sacrifice fly out to center field to push Kyleigh Clements from third base in the top of the fifth. Vivica Hernandez scored the second run for the Pioneers in the top of the sixth inning. Alyssa LeBlanc hit a single up to the middle of the field and recorded her first RBI of the game for Hernandez to score and bring the score to the final 3-2

Right after, in the bottom of the sixth, the Reddies responded quickly and scored the last run of the game for a 3-2 final in favor of HSU. 

LeBlanc (1-2) took the loss in the first game of the double header. 

Despite starting the first inning down 2-1 in the second game of the double header, the Pioneers dominated the rest of the game and recorded their second win of the season with an 8-2 result. 

The first run for TWU came early in the top of the first inning. LeBlanc homered to center field and recorded her second RBI of the day. 

Henderson State had a quick response and took the lead, 2-1, with a home run from Miyah Jackson. 

After a scoreless second inning, the Pioneers added two more runs  in the top of the third. Makana Morton and LeBlanc both homered to the left of the field to increase TWU's lead to 4-2. 

While HSU went scoreless for the remainder of the game, the Pioneers continued to capitalize on their momentum. TWU had an electric seventh inning, recording four runs and three hits to close things off with the decisive 8-2 win 

Hernandez opened the scoring for the Pioneers in the seventh inning with a single down the left to score Clements, who entered to pinch run for LeBlanc who hit a double in the lead off spot of the inning. 

 In the top of the seventh, Piper Morton hit a three-run home run as Makana Morton and Hernandez scored to put the exclamation on the win.

Jaycie Hall (1-1) took the win for the Pioneers. In five innings, she only allowed five hits and struck out five batters. 

TWU will resume action on Feb. 16 and 17 for their first Lone Star Conference series against Cameron in Lawton, Okla. On Friday, the Pioneers will play a single game at 6 p.m. and on Sunday, the double header will take place at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

-PIONEERS-