BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team dropped a pair of contests to No.4 East Texas Baptist, falling 5-3 and 11-6 so the Tigers. The wins improved ETBU to 10-0 on the season and 5-0 in American Southwest Conference action while the Cru fell to 9-4 overall and 4-4 in league play.
 
Lacey Lindsey gave ETBU a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, slamming a home run over the centerfield wall, scoring Jayme Perez and Gabby Gonzalez on the play. Leah Brown responded for UMHB in the bottom of the first, scoring Makenzi Dawson off an RBI double to right field, cutting the Tigers' lead to 3-1. ETBU loaded the bases in the top of the second inning before Brown spearheaded a triple play, catching a pop-up from the batter before tagging the baserunner at third and assisting the out of the baserunner at second. Christy Garrett scored one more run in the bottom of the fifth off an ETBU error before Gonzalez responded for the Tigers, hitting a home run over the left field wall in the top of the sixth inning. Myranda Hinojosa then hit a home run for the Cru, blasting a ball over the centerfield wall and cutting the Tigers' lead to one run.  ETBU added one more run in the top of the seventh inning to secure the 5-3 win. Kasi Cummings led the Cru with two hits while four other Crusaders added one. Haley Parker took the loss for UMHB, pitching seven innings with seven hits and five runs allowed. Rocki Tello earned the win for the Tigers with six innings pitched. Tello gave up three runs on five hits before Jayme Perez pitched the final inning of play, earning her first save of the season. UMHB totaled three runs on six hits with one error while the Tigers had five runs on seven hits with two errors.
 
The Tigers grabbed another game-opening three-run lead in the second game of the evening. Lindsey Vasquez scored off an error before Perez slammed a two-RBI home run for the 3-0 lead. ETBU extended that lead to 7-0 with a four-run mark in the top of the third inning. Vasquez opened scoring, reaching home off an error before Linzie Lewis scored on a wild pitch. Shelby Irlbeck drove in the next run with an RBI single followed by another RBI single from Taylor Sieber put the Tigers up by seven. Makenzi Dawson put the Cru on the board in the bottom of the third, to cut the lead to six. The Tigers added two more runs in the top of the fourth inning for a 9-1 lead before Brown scored off an RBI from Kourtney Cummings in the bottom of the fifth. ETBU added one more run in the top of the sixth but Linsey Tomlinson responded for UMHB, hitting her first collegiate home run over the centerfield wall in the bottom of the sixth.  The Tigers again recorded a single-run inning in the seventh before UMHB scored three to end the contest. Devon Walter scored off an RBI fielder's choice from Kourtney Cummings to cut the lead to 11-4. Avery Kelly scored next off an RBI double from Hinojosa and Kourtney Cummings added the final run for the Crusaders off a sacrifice fly from Kasi Cummings. Karen Tennis took the loss for UMHB, pitching 3.2 innings with nine hits, nine runs and three earned runs allowed. Paige McNeely closed the game for the Cru, pitching 3.1 innings with two runs on five hits. Perez earned the win in the circle for the Tigers with six runs on 10 hits in a complete seven-inning contest. UMHB totaled six runs on 10 hits with six errors while East Texas Baptist had 11 runs on 14 hits with three errors.
 
The Cru returns to action on Saturday, February 25^th at 12 p.m. in the final game of the series against East Texas Baptist. UMHB then travels to No. 1 UT Tyler for a three-game series beginning on Friday, March 3^rd.