CANYON, Texas (May 9, 2026) - On Thursday night, Texas Woman's softball's run in the 2026 Lone Star Conference Tournament came to an end against host and top-seeded West Texas A&M after securing the program's first conference tournament victory since 2017 over Western New Mexico on Wednesday to open the tournament.
No. 4 nationally ranked WT (47-6, 36-4) held off TWU (30-26, 23-17) despite a comeback effort after the lead changed hands multiple times throughout the contest. After the Pioneers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, WT responded with two runs of its own to reclaim the advantage. Madison Altman tied the game momentarily in the fourth with an RBI single before the Lady Buffs scored five unanswered runs to take a 7-5 victory despite three late runs by TWU in the final two innings.
IMPACT PLAYERS
PIONEER POWER MOMENTS
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Marissa Espinoza got things started at the plate with an RBI double to center field that scored Williams for a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.
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The Pioneers tied the game at two runs apiece in the following inning with another RBI from Madison Altman that brought Hawwa Townsend home.
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After falling behind by five runs, Lizzie Smith sparked the TWU offense in the sixth with a solo home run, followed by a sacrifice fly from Espinoza that scored Trinity Perry to trim the deficit to 7-4.
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In an attempt to spark another rally, Altman secured her second RBI of the night with a single to center field, but it was not enough to complete the comeback in the seventh inning.
POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE WITH COACH MCNUTTÂ
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UP NEXT
The Pioneers will await their postseason fate on Monday morning during the 2026 NCAA Division II Championships selection show beginning at 9 a.m. on NCAA.com.
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