BROWNWOOD, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team fell 5-4 to Howard Payne University Saturday afternoon in Brownwood. The loss dropped the Cru to 3-6 on the season and 2-4 in American Southwest Conference play while the Yellow Jackets improved to 6-5 overall and 3-3 in league action.
 
Howard Payne jumped to a lead in the bottom of the first inning when Celina Ortiz hit an RBI single to score Rachel Hitt for a 1-0 lead. The Yellow Jackets added insurance runs in the bottom of the third, putting up four runs for a 5-0 advantage. Celina Ortiz scored first off a bases-loaded RBI hit-by-pitch on Haley Slater. Kodi Glosson struck next, hitting a two-RBI single to score Tayler Rushing and Allison Eaton. Adrienne Sanchez knocked in the fourth run of the inning, hitting an RBI single to score Slater. UMHB responded strong in the top of the fourth inning. Karley Free opened the inning with an RBI single to score Leah Brown before Kourtney Cummings hit an RBI ground out scoring Christy Garrett. Devon Walter and Myranda Hinojosa then hit back-to-back RBI singles, scoring Free and Kasi Cummings to cut the Yellow Jackets lead to 5-4 after three and a half innings. Neither team was able to score again, giving Howard Payne the 5-4 victory.  
 
Walter and Hinojosa led the Cru with two hits each. Haley Parker took the loss for UMHB, pitching 2.2 innings with six hits allowed. Parker gave up five runs and struck out two batters. Karen Tennis pitched in relief, going 3.1 innings with three hits allowed. Celese Tirres earned the win for Howard Payne, pitching a complete game with eight allowed hits and three earned runs. UMHB totaled four runs on eight hits with one error while the Yellow Jackets had five runs on nine hits with two errors.

UMHB returns to action next weekend in a road series at East Texas Baptist University.  The Cru opens the series Friday, February 26^th in a 6 p.m. single game against the Tigers.