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Chandler Henson and
Brittany Moreno.
Farmers Branch, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team rallied for a three-run fifth inning as the Cru fought off elimination from the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament with a 3-1 victory over Howard Payne Friday morning. UMHB improves to 28-15 on the year with the victory and moves into another elimination game this afternoon. The loss ends the Yellow Jackets' season at 21-21.
Howard Payne took a 1-0 lead on Tylene Middleton's sacrifice fly in the top of the third inning. It would stay that way into the bottom of the fifth before UMHB responded with a three-run inning.
Hannah Parker drew a one-out walk and moved to third on
Heather Smith's double. Both runners scored on
Chandler Henson's single through the right side of the infield. Henson moved to second on
Janie Neyland's infield single and advanced to third on an error. She would come around to score the third run on
Kourtney Bevers' RBI squeeze bunt.
Rebekah Ragsdale pitched her way out of a sixth inning jam that saw HPU put runners at second and third with two outs and she then set the Yellow Jackets down in order in the top of the seventh inning.
Ragsdale scattered three hits and allowed just one run in a complete-game performance in the circle for the Cru. She improved her season record to 16-5 with the victory. UMHB managed just four hits, coming from four different players. Baillie Trumble took the loss for Howard Payne after giving up all three runs on four hits in five innings of work.
The Cru will return to action with a 4:00 PM elimination game against Louisiana College. The Wildcats stayed alive with a 4-1 win over Texas Lutheran University. UMHB topped Louisiana College 4-2 in the opening round of the ASC Tournament on Thursday.
