ABILENE, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team edged Hardin-Simmons University in the final game of the regular season, earning a 10-8 win in the seventh inning over the Cowgirls. The win improved UMHB to 20-16 on the season and 18-12 in American Southwest Conference action. Hardin-Simmons fell to 22-14 overall and 19-11 in conference play.
Leah Brown gave UMHB an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first, slamming an RBI double to score
Myranda Hinojosa. Brown later scored on a wild pitch, giving UMHB a 2-0 lead after the top of the first. Hardin-Simmons responded with pair of RBI singles to even the score at 2-2 before
Kelsey Vann hit a two-RBI double scoring Brown and
Cori Drake for a 4-2 UMHB lead in the top of the third. Hardin-Simmons responded once again, constructing a four-run bottom of the fourth inning for a 6-4 lead after four complete innings.
Cori Drake answered for UMHB, hitting a three-run home run in the top of the sixth to score
Janie Neyland and Hinojosa for an 8-6 advantage. Hardin-Simmons evened the game again in the bottom of the sixth for an 8-8 tie.
Kelsey Vann responded with a home run in the top of the seventh for a 9-8 lead before
Leah Brown doubled to score
Jordan Hughes for a 10-8 lead. Hardin-Simmons was unable to respond in the bottom of the seventh, sealing the 10-8 win for the Cru. Brown led the Cru with four hits while Drake and Vann each added two. Vann and Drake led the Cru with three RBI each while Brown scored a team-high three runs.
Tiffany Birdwell and
Karen Tennis split pitching time for the Cru. Birdwell started the game, pitching four innings with 11 hits and six runs. She truck out two batters and walked two. Tennis pitched the final three innings, earning the win with four hits and two runs allowed. UMHB totaled 10 runs on 12 hits with one error while the Cowgirls had eight runs on 15 hits with two errors.
UMHB will return to action in the 2015 American Southwest Conference Softball Championship Tournament Thursday, April 30
th through Sunday, May 3
rd at the tournament's No. 1 seed. UMHB will face Hardin-Simmons in the first round of the double-elimination tournament.