Photo GalleryBELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team split the final two games of the series with LeTourneau University Saturday afternoon in Belton. The Cru fell 6-5 in the first contest before beating the YellowJackets 2-1 in the second. LeTourneau moved to 4-4 overall and 2-1 in American Southwest Conference action while UMHB improved to 2-4 on the season and 1-2 in league play.
LeTourneau jumped to an early lead in the first two innings with an RBI double from Rachel Gauspohl and a home run from Bailey Woodard. UMHB added three runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 3-3.
Kasi Cummings hit an RBI single to score
Bailey Bohlken before
Karley Free hit an RBI double to score Brown.
Cori Drake ended the scoring with an RBI single to score Cummings for the tie. LeTourneau added single runs in the top of the fourth and fifth for a 5-3 lead before
Kasi Cummings hit a sacrifice fly to score
Myranda Hinojosa and cut the lead to one run. LeTourneau's Gauspohl hit a home run in the top of the seventh to earn LeTourneau's sixth run of the game.
Devon Walter ended the scoring for the Cru, hitting her first home run at UMHB to take UMHB's 6-5 loss. Bohlken and Free led the Cru with two hits while
Kasi Cummings had two RBI. UMHB totaled five runs on nine hits with no errors while the YellowJackets had six runs on 10 hits with three errors.
Haley Rhine put on the board in the second game, hitting an RBI triple in the bottom of the fourth inning to score
Hannah Parker.
Kourtney Cummings added another RBI in the fourth, scoring Rhine for a 2-0 UMHB lead. The Cru avoided three bases-loaded situations with two plays at the plate and a strikeout to keep the 2-0 lead. LeTourneau added one run in the top of the seventh with an RBI single from Megan Hill, but was unable to bring in the remaining runner giving the Cru a 2-1 victory. Six Crusaders recorded hits in the contest with Rhine and
Kourtney Cummings each recording RBI. UMHB totaled two runs on six hits with two errors while the YellowJackets had one run on four hits with no errors.
The Cru returns to action next weekend in an ASC series at Howard Payne University in Brownwood. UMHB opens the series Friday, February 19
th in a 1 p.m. doubleheader and concludes play Saturday, February 20
th in a 12 p.m. single game.