ABILENE, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team dropped a pair of games to Hardin-Simmons Friday evening in Abilene, falling 5-3 and 8-4 to the Cowgirls. The wins improved HSU to 22-13 on the season and 19-10 in American Southwest Conference action while the Cru fell to 19-16 overall and 17-12 in conference play.  
 
UMHB put up a two-run top of the first inning to gain advantage on the Cowgirls. Leah Brown hit an RBI double to score Janie Neyland before Kourtney Bevers scored on a groundout from Myranda Hinojosa for the 2-0 lead. Hardin-Simmons responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first to even the contest at 2-2 before Brown struck again, hitting an RBI single to score Kelsey Vann for a 3-2 lead in the top of the second. UMHB held that lead until the bottom of the sixth, when Kirsten Kenyon scored to even the contest once again at 3-3 after six complete innings. The game remained tied after regulation and was forced into an extra innings, when Lauren Williams hit a two-RBI home run to seal the 5-3 victory for the Cowgirls. Brown led the Cru with three hits while Neyland, Vann and Bailey Bohlken each added one. Brown led the Cru with two RBI while three Crusaders scored runs. Tiffany Birdwell took the loss in the circle, pitching 7.2 innings with five runs on 12 hits with one strikeout. UMHB totaled three runs on five hits with one error while the Cowgirls had five runs on 12 hits with one error.
 
Brown was the first Crusader to score in the second game of the doubleheader, getting on base off a double and scoring when Karley Free hit a single to left field. Sarah Truelove evened the contest for the Cowgirls in the bottom of the first, hitting a leadoff home run for a 1-1 tie. Hardin-Simmons scored one more run in the bottom of the second for a 2-1 lead before Truelove hit her second home run of the game in the bottom of the second, giving HSU the 3-1 advantage. Karley Free cut Hardin-Simmons' lead to one in the top of the third, driving in Janie Neyland before Kaegen Jimenez hit a home run in the bottom of the third extending the lead to two runs once again. Hardin-Simmons held that lead until the top of the sixth when Cori Drake hit an RBI double to score Amelia Cluke and Christy Garrett scored off an RBI from Kelsey Vann to even the game at 4-4. Hardin-Simmons responded with four runs in the bottom of the sixth for an 8-4 advantage. Free, Neyland, Bevers and CiCi Ramos led the Cru with two hits each while four other Crusaders each added one. Free had a team-high two RBI while four Crusaders scored runs. Karen Tennis took the loss for UMHB, pitching six innings with 14 hits, eight runs and two strikeouts. UMHB totaled four runs on 12 hits with no errors while the Cowgirls had eight runs on 14 hits with no errors.
 
UMHB will finish the series tomorrow in a 12 p.m. single game against the Cowgirls in Abilene.