BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team earned a one-hit shutout win over Hardin-Simmons Saturday afternoon in Belton, beating the Cowgirls 10-0 to clinch a spot in the 2016 American Southwest Conference Softball Tournament. The win improved the Cru to 19-16 on the season and 16-14 in league play while the Cowgirls moved to 15-19 overall and 11-16 in ASC action.
 
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when Devon Walter slammed a three RBI double down the left field line, scoring Leah Brown, Myranda Hinojosa and Christy Garrett for a 3-0 UMHB lead. Walter scored one batter later when Kasi Cummings slammed a double to the center field wall, putting the Cru up 4-0 before Kourtney Bevers slammed a triple to right field, scoring Kasi Cummings and Emily Marrs for a 6-0 lead. Bevers ended the inning scoring off a wild pitch, giving the Cru a seven-run third inning. Brown scored again in the bottom of the fourth off an RBI double from Karley Free. Free then scored off a wild pitch before Cori Drake added a run off an RBI double from Marrs, giving the Cru a 10-0 victory. Brown led the Cru with three hits while Hinojosa and Bevers each added two. Walter had a team-high three RBI followed by Bevers with two. UMHB's Haley Parker earned the win for the Cru, pitching five innings with just one hit allowed. Tori Rodriguez took the loss for HSU, pitching 2.1 innings with five runs and seven hits allowed. UMHB totaled ten runs on 12 hits while the Cowgirls had one hit and two errors.
 
UMHB returns to action next weekend in a road series at Belhaven University. The Cru opens the series on Friday, April 22^nd in a 1 p.m. doubleheader and concludes play on Saturday, April 23^rd in a noon doubleheader.  UMHB will then compete in the ASC Softball Tournament April 28^th-April 30^th.