BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team swept a doubleheader with University of the Ozarks Thursday afternoon in Belton, beating the Eagles 4-0 and 14-5 on the day. The wins improved the Cru to 14-7 on the season and 13-4 in American Southwest Conference action while the Eagles fell to 10-15 overall and 6-13 in conference play.
Cori Drake got UMHB on the board first, hitting a single to right field scoring
Janie Neyland from third base for a 1-0 lead. Drake struck again in the bottom of the second, drawing a bases-loaded walk to score
Emily Marrs.
Karley Free hit an RBI single in the next at-bat, scoring
Janie Neyland for a 3-0 lead before
Kourtney Bevers scored on a groundout from
Leah Brown, giving UMHB a 4-0 lead after two. Neither team was able to generate another run, giving UMHB the 4-0 victory. Bevers, Drake and
Leanne Hinojosa led the Cru with two hits each. Neyland scored a team-high two runs while Drake led the Cru with two RBI.
Tiffany Birdwell earned the win in the circle, allowing four hits with one walk and one strikeout in a complete game. UMHB totaled four runs on 10 hits with one error while the Eagles had no runs on four hits with three errors.
Drake gave the Cru an early lead in the second game, hitting a bases-clearing double to left field to score
Leanne Hinojosa and Bevers for a 2-0 lead. Brown extended that to three with an RBI double to right center scoring Drake from second base for a 3-0 lead before
Myranda Hinojosa reached on an error, allowing Brown to score for a 4-0 lead. Hinojosa scored next off a sacrifice fly from
Emily Marrs before
Kelsey Vann hit a single to score
Bailey Bohlken for a 6-0 lead. Bevers followed that with an RBI single to left center, scoring
Kelsey Vann for the 7-0 lead after the first inning. UMHB added two more runs in the bottom of the second when
Myranda Hinojosa hit a single behind first base, allowing Free and Brown to score for a 9-0 lead.
Myranda Hinojosa and
Bailey Bohlken also scored in the bottom of the second, giving UMHB an 11-0 lead after two.
CiCi Ramos drove in a run in her first at-bat, hitting a sacrifice fly to left field to score
Jordan Hughes for a 12-0 lead after three innings. Ozarks scored three runs in the top of the fourth, cutting the Cru's lead to 12-3.
Hannah Parker responded with a home run over the centerfield wall, scoring
Christy Garrett and giving UMHB the 14-3 lead. Ozarks added two more runs in the top of the fifth, giving UMHB the 14-5 victory. Brown led the Cru with three hits while Bevers, Drake and Vann each added two. Hinojosa had a team-leading three RBI followed by Vann, Drake and Parker with two.
Haley Parker earned the win in the circle, pitching 3.2 innings with seven hits, three runs and two strikeouts.
Karen Tennis pitched in relief, allowing two runs on four hits. UMHB totaled 14 runs on 12 hits with no errors while the Eagles had five runs on 11 hits with three errors.
UMHB will finish the series Friday, April 3rd in a 12 p.m. single game at Dee Dillon Field in Belton.
