TYLER, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team split a doubleheader with No. 1 UT Tyler Saturday in Tyler, falling 12-10 to the Patriots before winning the final game of the series 12-8. UMHB improved to 10-7 on the season and 5-7 in American Southwest Conference action while the Patriots fell to 15-1 overall and 8-1 in league play.
 
UMHB scored first in the opening game of the doubleheader when Makenzi Dawson scored off an RBI single from Karley Free. KK Stevens responded for the Patriots, slamming a three-RBI home run in the bottom of the first for a 3-1 Tyler lead. Myranda Hinojosa scored off an RBI single from Cori Drake in the second inning to cut UTT's lead to just one run. The Cru added three more runs in the third when Devon Walter scored off an RBI double from Kourtney Cummings followed by an RBI double from Kasi Cummings, scoring Kourtney Cummings and Leah Brown. UT Tyler scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning to tie the contest with a two-RBI home run from Mel Hinojosa. Dawson scored again in the top of the fourth off an error by the Patriots to again take the lead for UMHB. UT Tyler then constructed back-to-back two-run innings, leading 9-6 after five innings of play. The Cru took another lead with four runs in the top of the sixth inning. Christy Garrett and Makenzi Dawson scored on back-to-back errors from the Patriots before Myranda Hinojosa hit a two-RBI single, scoring Free and Brown for a 10-9 lead. Hannah Moore sealed 12-10 win for the Patriots with a three-RBI home run in the bottom of the sixth. UMHB combined for 16 hits in the contest with seven Crusaders recording two hits each. Dawson recorded a team-high three run followed by Brown with two. CeCe Darilek took the loss for the Cru, pitching 3.1 innings with seven runs allowed on eight hits. Haley Parker and Karen Tennis also spent time in the circle for UMHB, combining for 2.2 innings of work with five hits and five runs. Miranda Leal took the win for the Patriots, pitching 4.1 innings with eight hits and five runs allowed. UMHB totaled 10 runs on 16 hits with no errors while the Patriots recorded 12 runs on 13 hits with four errors.
 
The second game remained scoreless until the top of the third inning when Linsey Tomlinson scored on a Brown at-bat. Dawson scored next off an RBI single from Free, putting UMHB 2-0 in the top of the third. UTT added one run in the bottom of the third off an RBI from Cheyenne Thompson before the Cru put together a five-run top of the fourth to gain a substantial lead. Dawson opened the scoring with a two-RBI single, scoring Tomlinson and Kasi Cummings before Leah Brown hit a home run to left field, scoring Walter and Dawson on the play. The Patriots responded with four unanswered runs, but Free responded in the sixth, slamming a home run to left center field scoring Brown for a 9-5 lead. Kasi Cummings followed that with an RBI double to left field, scoring Kourtney Cummings for a 10-5 lead after five and a half innings. Thompson scored in the bottom of the sixth for the Patriots, reaching off a wild pitch to cut the lead to 10-6. Courtney Fisher followed with an RBI double, scoring Mel Hinojosa. UMHB went into the final inning with a 10-7 advantage, adding two more runs off RBI from Walter and Free. UT Tyler was unable to catch UMHB, scoring just one run in the bottom of the seven to secure UMHB's 12-8 victory. Dawson and Tomlinson led the Cru with three hits and three runs each while Brown and Free each recorded a team-high four RBI. Tennis earned the win in the circle for UMHB, pitching four innings with eight hits and five runs allowed. Darilek and Parker both pitched in relief, combining for three innings of work with three hits and three runs allowed. Miranda Leal took the loss for the Patriots, allowing five hits and five runs in 3.2 innings of work. UMHB totaled 12 runs on 12 hits with three errors while UT Tyler had eight runs on 11 hits with one error.
 
The Cru returns to action on Friday, March 10^th with a 4 p.m. game against the University of Texas at Dallas at Dee Dillon Field in Belton. UMHB will close that series with a noon doubleheader against the Comets on Saturday, March 11^th in Belton.