MARSHALL, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team fell 12-2 to No. 4 East Texas Baptist University Friday evening in Marshall. The loss drops the Cru to 3-7 on the season and 2-5 in American Southwest Conference action. East Texas Baptist improved to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in league play.
 
Kourtney Cummings gave UMHB a lead in the first inning, hitting an RBI single up the middle to score Leah Brown from second base. East Texas Baptist responded in the bottom of the first, scoring four runs off four hits. Cori Drake again put UMHB on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning with a home run to left center field, cutting the Tigers' lead to 4-2. East Texas Baptist then added three runs in the bottom of the third and five in the bottom of the fifth, giving the Tigers the 12-2 victory.
 
Brown led the Cru with two hits while five other Crusaders each added one. Karley Free led the Cru with seven putouts at first base, followed by Christy Garrett with three in left field. Haley Parker took the loss in the circle, giving up 11 runs on nine hits with nine earned runs. Parker pitched three innings before Kelsey Knox entered in relief, going one inning with one run and two hits. Lacey Lindsey led the Tigers with three hits followed by Linzie Lewis and Jayme Perez with two. Kaitlyn Hollingshead led the Tigers with four RBI, including a three-RBI home run to left field. Racquel Tello earned the win for ETBU, pitching five innings with seven hits and two runs allowed. UMHB totaled two runs on seven hits with five errors while the Tigers had 12 runs on 11 hits with one error.
 
UMHB continues the series against East Texas Baptist University tomorrow in a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Marshall.