Commerce, Texas – A&M-Commerce and Texas Woman's split an action packed Lone Star Conference doubleheader with the Lions winning game one in five innings, 16-8, following an 11-run fifth and the Pioneers taking game two 11-10 after a 10-3 advantage in hits at the John Cain Family Softball Field Saturday afternoon. 
 
Following Friday's doubleheader pattern, the Pioneers struck first in the first inning.  Nicole Nordie knocked one-out single to left and moved around the second and third on two wild pitches.  After an intentional walk to Kendra Sancet to put runners on first and second, Alyssa Galaz knocked two-out single back up the middle to score Nordie and give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead.
 
The Lions took the in the bottom of the second inning after Luci Ponce led off the inning with a walk.  After a strikeout, Kylene Hatton worked a full count walk on a ball outside.  Brenda Iparraguirre laced a ball at the shortstop, who forced Ponce out at third for the second out of the inning.  Monica Cherry stepped to the plate and drove a 1-2 pitch off the foul poll in left field for a three-run homer – her third dinger and 20th RBI of the year.  It was Cherry's first homerun of the season with runners on base.
 
TWU cut the deficit down to 3-2 in the top of the third when Sancet perfectly placed a ball down the left field line for a two-out RBI double that plated Mabary. 
 
Cherry's bat stayed red hot in the fourth inning when she belted a solo shot over the fence in left field for her second home run in as many at bats.  The blast gave the Lions a 4-2 lead and was the second time during the season a Lion had two homers in a game. Ponce accomplished the feat on March 15 with solo shot in the first inning and a two-run bomb in the third inning against Eastern New Mexico.
 
TWU answered with a four-run top of the fifth inning with all the damage done with two outs.  After a fly ball and strikeout, the Pioneers got a single from Laura Mabary and a double just inside the bag at third from Sancet to put runners on second and third.  While attempting to intentional walk Galaz, Lion starter Aundria Zunigia-Romero was called for an illegal pitch and allowing Mabary to score and Sancet to move to third.  After the walk to Galaz, Sarah Wittenburg drove a 0-2 pitch into center to plate Sancet and tie the game at four.  The Pioneers added two more runs on a hit batter and a walk, both with the bases loaded giving TWU its first lead of the game 6-4.
 
The Lions chipped away at the lead when December Rivers led off the bottom of the fifth with a double. After Danielle Guerra pinch ran for Rivers, Ponce drilled a double off the fence in center moving Guerra around to third.  Cherie Jackson, who entered in the top of the fifth to play right, hit a deep sacrifice fly to the warning track driving in Guerra.  TWU starter Tori Bice, got the final out of the inning on a grounder to short keeping the TWU lead at 6-5.
 
Galaz and the Pioneers were not finished adding a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to take an 8-5 lead.  Galaz drove a 1-1 pitch over the fence in left field to the two runs. However the Lion bats were not done in this game.
 
A&M-Commerce came roaring back with an 11-run fifth inning after sending 14 batters to the plate to win the game 16-8 after five innings on account of the eight run rule.  It was the second time in the doubleheader the Lions run-ruled the Pioneers.  Hatton had a massive two-run double, and Zunigia-Romero ended the game with a two-RBI single to left.
 
Cherry paced the Lions at the dish with three hits in three trips to the plate with four RBI and four runs scored thanks in part to her two home runs.  Zunigia-Romero finished 2-for-5 with three RBI, and Oppenheim and Rivers each added a pair of hits.
 
Selena Rima got the win for the Lions after one and third innings of work in relief after allowing one hit and two runs.  She also recorded two strikeouts.  Zunigia-Romero got the start for the Lions and gave up eight hits and six runs in four and two thirds of an inning.
 
Texas Woman's started game two off with a three run first inning aided by a pair of Lion errors, but the Lions answered with a run in the second thanks to four walks, and four more runs in the third inning following six walks and a hit-by-a-pitch to take a 5-3 lead.  A&M-Commerce pushed its lead lot to 6-3 in the fourth inning after Ponce hit an opposite field home run over the fence in left.  Through four innings, the Lions had six runs on just two hits.
 
The Pioneers battled back into the game with a three-run top of the fifth highlighted by a two-run homer off the scoreboard in left center from Sancet to knot the game at six.  TWU tacked on five more runs in the fifth inning to take a late commanding lead for the second time Saturday.  It was Sancet that struck again in the fifth.  This time it was her grand slam to right that sparked the surge and gave TWU an 11-6 lead.
 
But the Lions again mounted a late charge for the lead.  The Lions scored three runs after Oppenheim hit a comebacker to the pitcher with the bases loaded and two outs.  The throw to first pulled the first baseman off the bag and Oppenheim was called safe following the errant throw.  The Lions base runner on second, rounded second and was half way to third. The TWU first baseman came up throwing to second but threw the ball into center field allowing the other two runners to score and Oppenheim all the way around the third. However, Bice, who started the game for the Pioneers, came back out to try and earn the save and retire the final batter, which true to the day was no small task.
 
With a 1-2 count, Bice got Rivers to hit a weak fly ball just in front of the mound. Bice appeared to make the game winning catch while diving, but the game continued and Oppenheim was allowed to score on an illegal pitch cutting the lead down to 11-10.  Bice earned the save on the next pitch getting Rivers to pop out in foul territory to third.
 
TWU outhit the Lions 10-3 in the game, while the two teams combined for seven errors – five for the Lions and two for the Pioneers.
 
Cyanne Fernandez took the loss in the circle for the Lions after two and two-thirds innings of work in relief. She allowed only two hits and five runs, all unearned.
 
Offensively for the Lions, Oppenheim kept her six-game hitting streak alive with a 2-for-4 performance at the dish.  Ponce had the only other hit for the Lions. 
 
After the split Saturday, the two teams split the LSC series two games each. The Lions move to 18-16 overall and 7-7 in league player, while the Pioneers are 14-17-1 on the year and 5-6-1 in conference games.
 
A&M-Commerce hits the road with a four-game set at Tarleton State Friday, April 3 with a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m.  The series will wrap up with a twinbill Saturday, April 4 at 1 p.m.
 
Fans can follow all the action from the 2014-15 season on www.LionAthletics.com, through twitter @Lion_Athletics and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LionsAthletics.