ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - Henderson State splits its midweek doubleheader with Texas Woman's at Dee White Field, winning the first game 3-2 before falling 8-2 in the second contest.
Lily Warren led the red-and-gray bats over the two games with a 4-for-7 day at the plate, recording two hits in each game. Miyah Jackson tallied her fourth home run of the season in the second contest and would finish 2-of-6 at the plate with three RBIs. In the second game of the doubleheader, Mackenzie Williams and Katelyn McMahan both recorded two hits against the Pioneers.
Henderson State (4-6) returns to action again Friday, Feb. 16, with a doubleheader against Texas A&M- Texarkana starting at 3 p.m.
GAME ONE HSU 3, TWU 2
Starting pitcher Meagan Allen gave the Reddies four scoreless innings from the circle and retired the side in order in the second, third and fourth frames. HSU would strike first after Allen kept the Pioneers off the scoreboard in the bottom of the third with a home run down the left field line from Jorika Alvarez to put Henderson in front 1-0.
Texas Woman's knotted the game 1-1 in the top of the fifth on a sac fly after an error by HSU led to TWU getting runners on first and third with no out. In the next inning, Texas Woman's took the lead after a single up the middle plated the Pioneer's leadoff hitter from second, 2-1.
Henderson was quick to reply, scoring two runs in the bottom half of the sixth to take a 3-2 edge. A leadoff single and stolen base had Warren on second with no outs and would soon be standing on third after a ground out by Alvarez. Brooke Johnson scored the freshman moments later with an RBI single to TWU's shortstop. HSU's next run of the frame came from a single to right-field by Jackson to plate pinch runner Addison Tidwell.
After Erika Bittinger came in for relief for Allen in the fifth, HSU turned to McMahan to close out the seventh inning. The Pioneers quickly had the Reddies under pressure with the bases with one out, but a heads-up play from third baseman Alvarez would turn a double play to escape the frame. McMahan picked up her first save of the season, while Bittinger improved to 2-0 in the circle.
GAME TWO TWU 8, HSU 2
Texas Woman's wasted no time scoring its first run as the Pioneers' leadoff hitter notched a home run in the top of the first. The Reddies replied in the bottom half with a two-run shot from Jackson over the centerfield wall to give HSU a 2-1 lead. After trading big flies in the first, both sides were kept in check in the second inning, but the Pioneers would plate two runs in the third to go ahead 3-2.
Henderson struggled to get the bats going after the opening inning, as they were held to just two hits over the next four frames. Texas Woman's added another run in the top of the fourth to stretch its advantage to 4-2. HSU threatened in the bottom of the sixth with runners on first and second but were unable to advance them any further before the final out of the inning. TWU stretched its lead to six in the top half of the seventh inning, plating four more runs, 8-2.
