BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team earned an 8-0 win over Howard Payne University Saturday afternoon in Belton to close the three-game series with the Yellow Jackets. The win improved UMHB to 9-2 on the season and 4-2 in American Southwest Conference action while Howard Payne fell to 4-7-1 overall and 2-4 in league play.
 
Devon Walter gave UMHB a lead in the bottom of the first inning, slamming a two-RBI home run over the centerfield wall. Myranda Hinojosa and Kasi Cummings followed that with RBI singles, scoring Karley Free and Kourtney Cummings for a 4-0 UMHB lead at the end of the first. Leah Brown hit UMHB's second home run of the day in the bottom of the second inning, slamming a home run over the right centerfield wall for a 5-0 Cru lead. UMHB sealed the victory with a three-run fifth inning. Makenzi Dawson opened scoring with a two-RBI double scoring Kasi Cummings and Christy Garrett before Walter slammed an RBI single to score Dawson for the 8-0 win. Walter, Hinojosa, Garrett and Kasi Cummings led the Cru with two hits while Dawson recorded a team-high two runs. Walter was the leader in the RBI category with three, followed by Dawson with two and three other Crusaders with one each. Haley Parker earned the win in the circle for UMHB, pitching five innings with three hits and three strikeouts. Madison Witherwax took the loss for Howard Payne, allowing four runs on one hit with 0.1 innings pitched. UMHB totaled eight runs on 10 hits with no errors while Howard Payne had no runs on three hits with one error.
 
The Cru returns to action on Friday, February 24^th in a 3 p.m. doubleheader against No. 5 East Texas Baptist University at Dee Dillon Field in Belton. UMHB will close that series in a 12 p.m. single game on Saturday, February 25^th.