LAREDO, Texas (Feb. 22, 2026) - Texas Woman's University softball wrapped up its first Lone Star Conference road weekend with a 2-2 split in South Texas against Texas A&M-Kingsville and Texas A&M International.
The Pioneers bounced back from two tough losses at the hands of the Javelinas with two solid wins, including their first shutout of the season, a 2-0 victory over the Dustdevils, followed by an impressive 4-1 win to cap off Sunday with the program's first two official conference road victories.
In the first matchup against TAMUK, the Pioneers fell into an early 2-0 hole in game one as the Javelinas scored on two RBIs. TWU responded in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 2-1, but Kingsville added an insurance run in the bottom half to secure the 3-1 win. Game two saw more of the same, with TAMUK capitalizing on early opportunities to earn a 9-1 win in five innings, completing the sweep.
Texas Woman's then traveled to Laredo for the second round of conference matchups against the Dustdevils. The Pioneers emphasized defense and played error-free ball in both games, resulting in their first shutout victory of the season in game one.
Sophomore Randi Crawford dominated in the circle, throwing a career-high 12 strikeouts over seven innings while allowing just two hits on 100 pitches. Offensively, Madison Lux started the scoring in the third inning with an RBI single that brought in Marissa Espinoza. Espinoza returned the favor in the fourth inning, driving in Zaryah Williams to secure the 2-0 win.
In game two, Caydance Gaddis took over on the mound, complementing Crawford's performance to form a strong 1-2 pitching tandem for the Pioneers. Gaddis faced 32 batters over seven innings, allowing just one earned run and recording two strikeouts on 131 pitches. Offensively, TWU scored in three separate innings, starting with two runs in the third to take a 2-0 lead. Lux added another RBI in the fourth, and Tamia Cherry hit her third home run of the season in the sixth to extend the lead to 4-0. TAMIU scored a late run in the seventh but could not overcome the deficit, giving TWU the 4-1 win.
IMPACT PLAYERSÂ
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Randi Crawford: 2 GP/1 GS - 13.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 13 K, complete-game, 2-hit shutout vs TAMIU
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Tamia Cherry: 6 for 12, .220Â on the weekend, HR, 2 RBI, 4 runs scored
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Marissa Espinoza: 2 for 4, RBI in Game one vs. TAMIU, scored in Game two win, and sacrifice fly RBI vs Kingsville
PIONEER POWER MOMENTS
Game 1 vs. TAMIU:
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Facing two outs in the top of the third inning, Lux worked her way out of the hole and brought a runner home to put the Pioneers on the board first in Laredo.
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Espinoza, also with two outs, followed with an RBI single to drive in Zaryah Williams, providing the insurance run that secured the 2-0 win.
Game 2 vs. TAMIU:
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Espinoza scored on a Dustdevil pitching mistake for the first run of the game in the third inning.
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Ashley Allinger singled to right field, bringing in Tamia Cherry to extend the lead to 2-0.
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Lux added another RBI in the fourth inning, and Cherry sealed the game with a solo home run in the sixth, finalizing the 4-0 advantage.
Hear from Head Coach Gay McNutt
"It was good to see the one-two punch from Randi and Caydance; they both threw exceptionally well," Head Coach Gay McNutt said. "Our defense was flawless behind them, making plays that could have let our opponent back into the game. Timely hitting allowed us to put runs on the board, stay a step ahead of TAMIU, and take pressure off our pitchers. Very proud of both wins today."
NEXT UP
The Pioneers return home for a quick two-game matchup with the Rattlers on Saturday, Feb. 28, at Dianne Baker Field, with a doubleheader starting at noon.
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