BELTON, Texas– The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team defeated the Blazers of Belhaven University 8-0 Friday afternoon in Belton. The win moved the Cru to 20-9 on the season and 14-5 in American Southwest Conference play while the loss dropped the Blazers to 17-7 on the season and 8-5 in conference play.
 
The game got off to the slow start with the first run coming in the bottom of the third inning when Makenzi Dawson reached home from third base off of an error by the Blazers. The bottom of the fourth inning brought much more excitement as the Cru went on to score six runs. Kasi and Kourtney Cummings opened scoring off a two-RBI single from Linsey Tomlinson put the Cru up 3-0. Tomlinson scored next off an RBI double to left center from Whitney Flournoy before Dusti Douglas scored Flournoy with an RBI double to left center. Douglas and Dawson scored later in the inning off a wild pitch by the Blazers, ending the fourth inning with a UMHB 7-0 lead. UMHB added one more run in the bottom of the fifth when Jessica Picou advanced from third on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to end the game with an 8-0 UMHB win.
 
Dawson led the Cru with two runs while Douglas, Kasi Cummings, Kourtney Cummings, Flournoy, Picou and Tomlinson scored one. Douglas led the Cru with two hits followed by Emily Bounds, Kasi Cummings, Kourtney Cummings, Douglas, Flournoy, Devon Walter and Hannah Wolfe with one hit each. Hannah Halepaska earned the win for the Cru, pitching a complete five-inning shutout with just one hit allowed. The Blazers threw three pitchers with Jordan Self taking the loss. UMHB totaled eight runs on nine hits with no errors while Belhaven totaled zero runs on one hit with two errors.
 
UMHB opened play in a second contest against the Blazers but the game was delayed due to lightening. Play in that contest will resume at 12 p.m. tomorrow with Belhaven leading 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth. The Cru will then close the series with a third game against the Blazers.