Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Abilene, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team grabbed the lead in the middle innings of both games and the Cru held on for a doubleheader sweep of Hardin-Simmons University Monday afternoon in Abilene. UMHB took game one 7-5 and won game two 5-3 to take three of the four games from the Cowgirls. The Cru improves to 23-13 overall and 18-1 in American Southwest Conference West Division play with the two victories. Hardin-Simmons falls to 22-9 overall and 15-5 in the ASC West on the season with the two losses.
UMHB put seven runs on the board in the middle three innings and held off HSU's comeback try for a 7-5 victory in game one. The Cowgirls took a 1-0 lead with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning. UMHB answered with two in the top of the third on
Megan Bohne's two-run homer. HSU used a single run in the bottom of the third to tie the game at two, but the Cru grabbed a 4-2 lead with two more runs in the top of the fourth. The first run scored on an error and
Kelsey Greeson added an RBI single. The Cowgirls would close to within 4-3 with a single run in the bottom of the fourth, but UMHB opened up some breathing room with a three-run fifth inning.
Jordan Schrutka and
Hannah White had RBI singles and
Erica Salazar added an RBI fielder's choice. The Cowgirls would cut it 7-5 with two runs on three hits and a pair of UMHB errors in the bottom of the sixth, but that's as close as HSU would get.
Hannah White picked up the win for the Cru to move to 5-3 on the season and
Erica White pitched a perfect seventh inning for her first save of the year.
Caitlin Bollier had three hits for the Cru and Bohne and Salazar added two hits apiece.
UMHB's five-run third inning would be the difference in a 5-3 game two win. The Cru fell behind 2-0 before grabbing the lead for good with the five-run third.
Jessica Oliver singled home the first run, Salazar was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and
Austin McCormick drew a bases loaded walk to make it 3-2. The Cru then took advantage of the Cowgirls fielding breakdowns to add a pair of unearned runs for a 5-2 edge. The Cowgirls added a run on a steal of home in the bottom of the third, but that would be the end of the scoring. Greeson tossed a complete-game, eight-hitter to improve to 8-6 on the season. Greeson struck out nine and did not walk a batter. Greeson, Oliver, Bollier, Bohne, Schrutka and
Brittany Moreno all had two hits apiece in a 14-hit UMHB attack.
The Cru will close out the regular season with a four-game series against Concordia Texas this weekend. UMHB will take on the Tornados in a 5:00 PM doubleheader in Round Rock on Thursday before the two teams close out the series with a 1:00 PM doubleheader in Belton on Saturday. The Cru needs just one more win to clinch the West Division's #1 seed in next weekend's ASC Championship Tournament.
