Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Photo Gallery
Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team took early leads and then held on for a doubleheader sweep of Hardin-Simmons University Friday afternoon in Belton. The Cru won 5-4 in game one and took a 1-0 decision in game. UMHB improves to 21-12 overall and 17-3 in American Southwest Conference West Division play with the two wins. The Cru also takes over first place in the West Division and grabs the tiebreaker edge over the Cowgirls by winning the series 3-1. HSU drops to 20-10 overall and 13-3 in the ASC West Division on the year with the two losses.
The Cru took the lead in the bottom of the first and then held off a furious Hardin-Simmons rally for a 5-4 game one victory.
Janie Neyland's RBI single made it 1-0 Cru in the bottom of the first. UMHB then added four runs in the fifth on
Chandler Henson's two-run single,
Caitlin Wells' RBI single and a Cowgirl throwing error. HSU cut it to 5-1 in the top of the sixth and then scored three more in the top of the seventh. Amy Meyer singled home a run, Blair Wallace added an RBI double and Taylor Namey singled home a run to cut it to 5-4. The Cowgirls would have runners on first and third, but
Rebekah Ragsdale coaxed a pop-out to end the threat and the game. Ragsdale improved to 11-5 on the year by tossing an eight-hitter and striking out five.
Leanne Hinojosa had three hits for the Cru and Henson and Neyland added two hits apiece. UMHB left 11 runners on base. Wallace took the loss to fall to 11-5 as Meyer, Wallace and Namey combined for seven of HSU's eight hits.
UMHB made a second-inning run stand up in a 1-0 game two victory.
Kaysie Creech singled home that run with two outs in the top of the second. HSU threatened in the seventh as Julia Bradley led off with a single and Laine Strickland followed with a double. Ragsdale came in to get two fly outs and then struck out an HSU pinch-hitter to end the threat and nail down her first save of the season.
Hannah White raised her record to 3-3 by scattering five hits over six innings. Neyland had two of UMHB's five hits in the win. Sarah Shurbet took the loss for HSU to fall to 9-5 on the season.
The Cru will now close out ASC West Division play with a four-game series at Schreiner University next weekend in Kerrville. UMHB can clinch the ASC West Division title and earn a first round bye in the ASC Championship Tournament with a sweep of the Mountaineers.
