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BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team split a Monday afternoon doubleheader with UT Dallas, falling 7-6 to the Comets before responding with a 6-1 win. UMHB improved to 11-9 on the season and 6-9 in American Southwest Conference action while the Comets fell to 18-4 overall and 10-2 in league play.
 
Myranda Hinojosa gave UMHB a lead in the first game, hitting an RBI single to score Leah Brown in the bottom of the first inning. UT Dallas responded with a three-run third inning, led by Hope Griffith with a two-RBI home run. UMHB tied the game in the bottom of the third inning with back-to-back RBI from Kourtney Cummings and Karley Free, scoring Brown and Avery Kelly for a 3-3 tie. Myranda Hinojosa scored next on an RBI from Kasi Cummings to give the Cru a 4-3 lead. UMHB added two more runs in the fourth inning when Devon Walter slammed a home run and Myranda Hinojosa hit an RBI double to score Linsey Tomlinson. The Cru held that lead until the top of the seventh inning when Brittany Perkins hit a game-winning grand slam to put the Comets up by one. Hinojosa led the Cru with three hits while six other Crusaders added one. Hinojosa also recorded a team-high two RBI while Brown scored a team-leading two runs. Perkins led the Comets with three hits and four RBI while she and Melissa Livermore each scored two runs. Haley Parker took the loss in the circle for UMHB, pitching 2.2 innings with four runs on six hits allowed. CeCe Darilek earned the start for UMHB, allowing three runs on five hits in 4.1 innings of work. Sara Davison earned the win for the Comet dugout, pitching two innings with no runs, no hits and two strikeouts. UMHB totaled six runs on nine hits with two errors while UT Dallas had seven runs on 11 hits with two errors.
 
UMHB used a five-run third inning to gain advantage on the Comets. Walter opened the inning with a two-RBI double scoring Free and Makenzi Dawson before Cori Drake, Hinojosa and Kourtney Cummings all recorded RBI hits. Walter put the Cru on the board again in the bottom of the fourth, reaching off an RBI double from Leah Brown for a six-run Cru lead. UMHB limited the Comets to just one run in the final three innings of play, securing the 6-1 victory. Walter and Kourtney Cummings led the Cru with two hits each while Walter also led the Cru with two RBI and two runs scored. Stephanie Polderman was the leader for UT Dallas with three hits. Karen Tennis earned the win in the circle for UMHB, pitching a complete game with one run on seven hits. Lauren McLeod took the loss for the Comets, allowing five runs on six hits in three innings of work. Davison pitched in relief, allowing one run on three hits in three innings in the circle. UMHB totaled six runs on nine hits with three errors while the Comets had one run on seven hits with no errors.
 
UMHB returns to action in a road series at Concordia University Texas next weekend in Austin. The Cru opens the series with a 4 p.m. doubleheader on Friday, March 17^th before finishing with a single game at noon on Saturday, March 18^th. UMHB then returns home to face Texas Lutheran on Tuesday, March 21^st in a 3 p.m. doubleheader at Dee Dillon Field in Belton.