Costly errors and a lack of offensive execution plagued TWU on Saturday as the Pioneers dropped their season opener to Southern Arkansas 8-1.
TWU left eight runners on base, including twice leaving the bases loaded. TWU's three errors each led to a Southern Arkansas (1-0) run.
Hanna Gill went the distance for the Lady Muleriders, striking out four and walking two while giving up seven hits.
Larisa Garcia was saddled with the loss, giving up three earned runs, six hits and five walks while striking out five. Karissa Hartwig and Lizzy Kelly made relief appearances.
Freshman Kendra Sancet was 2-for-3 for TWU. Addison Staley had a single and an RBI. Jordan Readicker, Katie Hines and Sarah Wittenburg each had a hit for the Pioneers, with Wittenburg scoring the lone run.
Taelor Wheeler carried SAU, going 3-for-4 with a two-run blast over the left field wall in the seventh inning. Macie Tillery had two hits and two RBIs, while Brittany Wood also had two hits with a run batted in.
Things went sour at the start of the game for TWU. Garcia walked the first two batters, then give up a single to Wood to load the bases. Tillery took advantage with a single to right field to give SAU a 2-0 lead. Garcia kept her composure and recorded three strikeouts to stop the bleeding.
The Pioneers looked primed to return the favor in the bottom of the first. Bailey Vrazel opened with a walk, followed by bunt singles from Staley and Sancet to load the bases. But an interference call and two straight flyouts ended the scoring threat.
The Lady Muleriders would tack on two more in the second inning, taking advantage of two TWU errors.
Garcia kept SAU within reach until the sixth inning, when consecutive singles by Lauren Witzke and Wheeler forced her from the game.
Hartwig didn't last long. After Witzke scored on a fielder's choice and Wood singled in Guyer product Kylee Crosek, Kelly came in for further relief. With the bases loaded and two outs, Kelly got Chelsea Knox to fly out to center field to end the inning with TWU down 6-0.
With one out in the bottom of the sixth, TWU finally had an offensive surge. Sancet and Readicker hit back-to-back singles, followed by a Hines walk to load the bases. But Kelly struck out and Tiffany Weise hit into a fielder's choice at third base to end the inning.
TWU got its first run of the season in the final inning. With one out in the seventh, Wittenburg singled up the middle in her first at-bat. Vrazel followed with a hit down the left field line. Wittenburg then scored on a Staley groundout.
TWU will look to rebound today against SAU in a noon doubleheader.
