Photo Gallery

BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team split a doubleheader with Southwestern University Tuesday evening in Belton, falling 4-3 to the Pirates before earning a 9-1 win. UMHB improved to 6-1 on the day while Southwestern moved to 7-3.
 
The first game opened in a pitchers' duel with Southwestern's Lindsey Longuet throwing six strikeouts and Kat Reed adding five before the first run scored. Allie Dalle broke the scoring drought in the bottom of the fourth inning, hitting a solo home run for a 1-0 UMHB lead. Elissa Elliott followed with a double to right field, scoring three batters later when Hannah Wolfe hit an RBI single. Southwestern took a lead in the next frame when Sydney Scott hit a three-RBI home run over the scoreboard. UMHB evened the contest in the bottom of the fifth when Milly Cesare scored off an RBI from Lexi Harris. The game stayed tied until the top of the seventh when Southwestern scored the go-ahead run. UMHB was not able to respond, taking its first loss of the season at 4-3. Four Crusaders combined for hits while Dalle, Elliott and Cesare scored runs and Dalle, Wolfe and Harris had RBI. Kat Reed took the loss for UMHB in the circle, throwing seven innings with five hits and four runs allowed. Reed finished with seven strikeouts. Lindsey Longuet earned the win for Southwestern, throwing seven innings with four hits and three runs allowed.
 
UMHB opened the second contest with a lead, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Korbyn Bassett opened the inning with a solo home run before Lexi Harris slammed a two-RBI double for the 3-0 lead. Southwestern added a solo run in the top of the third before Whitney Flournoy singled to score Taygan Landrey and put the Cru up 4-1. UMHB used a strong fourth inning to pull away from the Pirates, scoring five runs on two hits. Allie Dalle scored on a bases-loaded walk before Avery Kelly scored on a passed ball and Bassett reached on an error. Milly Cesare and Ashley Estrada closed the inning with back-to-back RBI singles, giving the Cru a 9-1 lead after four innings. UMHB held onto the 9-1 lead through the top of the fifth, securing the run-rule victory. Bassett and Cesare led the Cru with two hits each while Harris led with two RBI and Bassett and Flournoy each had a team-high two runs. Bayleigh Grogan earned the win in the circle for UMHB, throwing five innings with three hits and one earned run allowed. Lexi Shafer took the loss for the Pirates, pitching 2.2 innings with six hits and four runs allowed.
 
UMHB returns to action on Friday, February 28^th in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss. The Cru returns to home action on Friday, March 13^th in a 6 p.m. single game against LeTourneau University.