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Tyler, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team fought hard for 17 innings, but fell short to LeTourneau University 9-7 in the 2015 American Southwest Conference Softball Tournament on Friday afternoon in Tyler. The win advances LeTourneau in the tournament while the Cru ends the season at 21-18 after advancing to the ASC Tournament for the 16^th time in program history.
 
UMHB constructed a strong second inning to gain a six-run advantage on the YellowJackets. Kourtney Bevers scored first off a LeTourneau error, followed by an RBI fielder's choice from Cori Drake to score Myranda Hinojosa. Amelia Cluke struck next, hitting an RBI single to score Kelsey Vann before Drake scored off another LeTourneau error. Bevers was final Crusader to drive in runs, scoring Janie Neyland and Cluke with a two-RBI single to left field for a 6-0 UMHB lead. LeTourneau responded with single-run innings in the third and the fifth to cut UMHB's lead to 6-2. The Cru held that lead until the bottom of the seventh when LeTourneau put up a four-run inning to tie the game at 6-6 after regulation play. Kelsie Benson opened scoring for the YellowJackets with an RBI double to score Whitney Judd, before Kelsi Coleman used another RBI double, scoring Benson. Bailey Woodard was next, hitting an RBI single score Ashley Hickerson. Taylor Kaderli then drove in the game-tying run with an RBI single, scoring Nikole Williams to tie the game at six runs. Both teams had scoring chances in extra innings but nobody was able to score until the top of the 17^th inning when Vann drove in Karley Free off an RBI fielder's choice to give UMHB a 7-6 lead. LeTourneau responded, scoring Coleman off an RBI single from Haley Rhine in the bottom of the 17^th before Megan Hill blasted a home run to secure the 9-7 win for the YellowJackets.
 
Bevers, Neyland, Free, Leah Brown and Myranda Hinojosa all led UMHB with two hits each while Bevers had a team-high two RBI.  Haley Parker started the game for the Cru, pitching 6.2 innings with four runs on 10 hits. Parker struck out three batters and walked just two. Tiffany Birdwell took the loss for UMHB, pitching ten innings and giving up four runs on 15 hits. Birdwell struck out five batters and walked just four. UMHB totaled seven runs on 15 hits with two errors while the YellowJackets had nine runs on 24 hits with four errors.

Official game time was recorded at just under five hours, making it the longest game in ASC Tournament history and the longest game UMHB has played in in the Division III era. UMHB advanced to the conference tournament for the 16^th time in program history. LeTourneau will advance to face No. 3 seed Louisiana College Friday, May 1^st at 7 p.m. The winner of that contest will advance to the semifinals and face the loser of No. 1 seed U.T.-Tyler and No. 2 seed East Texas Baptist on Saturday, May 2^nd at 2 p.m. The tournament's championship game will be played on Saturday, May 2^nd at 5 p.m. with an if-necessary game scheduled for Sunday, May 3^rd at 1 p.m.