CLARKSVILLE, Ark. – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team swept its series-opening doubleheader with University of the Ozarks Thursday afternoon in Clarksville, beating the Eagles 9-7 and 17-3. The win improved the Cru to 9-14 on the season and 8-12 in American Southwest Conference action while the Eagles fell to 6-15 overall and 6-11 in league play.  

Kourtney Cummings put UMHB on the board first, scoring off a throwing error in the top of the first inning to give UMHB a one-run lead. Karley Free scored next, reaching home off an RBI fielder's choice from Devon Walter for a 2-0 advantage. UMHB improved that lead in the top of the second inning when Free slammed an RBI single through the left side, scoring Leah Brown. UMHB added two more runs in the top of the second inning when Free and Kourtney Cummings scored off a two-RBI double from Cori Drake. Brown added one more run in the top of the fourth inning when Free hit an RBI fielder's choice to improve UMHB's lead to 6-0. Bevers hit in one more run in the top of the fifth inning to score Dusti Douglas before Ozarks added three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to six runs. Kourtney Cummings and Walter both hit RBI singles in the top of the sixth to extend UMHB's lead to 9-3. The Eagles responded with four runs in the bottom of the seventh but were unable to catch the Cru, securing the 9-7 win for UMHB. Brown and Kourtney Cummings led the Cru with three hits and three runs each while Free, Drake and Walter each recorded a team-high two RBI. Karen Tennis earned the win in the circle for the Cru, pitching four shutout innings with five hits and four strikeouts. Kelsey Knox pitched for UMHB in relief, going three innings with seven runs on nine hits. Knox gave up three earned runs and struck out two. Abigail Mork took the loss for the Eagles, pitching three innings with six hits and six runs. UMHB totaled nine runs on 14 hits with three errors while Ozarks had seven runs on 14 hits with four errors.
 
UMHB again jumped to an early lead in the second contest when Kourtney Cummings scored off an error to put the Cru up 1-0. University of the Ozarks responded, scoring one run in the bottom of the first for a 1-1 tie. Leah Brown opened the second inning with a home run, followed by RBI from Dusti Douglas and Myranda Hinojosa for a 7-1 UMHB lead after two innings. Haleigh Moore hit a home run for the Eagles in the bottom of the third inning to cut the lead to 7-2 before UMHB scored seven runs in the top of the fourth inning. The Eagles added one more run in the bottom of the fourth before the Cru put up three in the top of the fifth, securing the 17-3 victory for UMHB. Brown led the Cru with four hits followed by Hinojosa and Kourtney Cummings with three each. Kourtney Cummings led the Cru with four runs, followed by Brown and Free with three and Walter and Jordan Hughes with two. Hinojosa and Walter each drove in a game-high three RBI, followed by Brown and Douglas with two each. Haley Parker earned the win in the circle for the Cru, allowing three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Hannah Oler took the loss for Ozarks, pitching three innings with six hits and seven runs. Oler gave up one earned run and struck out one. UMHB totaled 17 runs on 17 hits with no errors while the Eagles had three runs on seven hits with eight errors.
 
UMHB concludes the series on Friday, March 25^th in an 11 a.m. game against the Eagles. The Cru then returns home to host Louisiana College Friday, April 1^st through Saturday, April 2^nd at Dee Dillon Field in Belton.