BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team used an offensive surge in the second inning of play to grab a 10-2 win over the University of Texas at Dallas Friday evening in Belton. The win improved the Cru to 11-9 on the season and 5-5 in American Southwest Conference action while the Comets moved to 1-14 overall and 1-8 in league play.  
 
UT Dallas opened the contest with a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but UMHB responded in the bottom of the second with six runs on four hits. Milly Cesare scored the equalizer on an RBI single by Tatum Stover before Stover reached home on an error. Bailey Eggleston batted in two more runs with a fielder's choice before back-to-back RBI singles from Elissa Elliott and Elisabeth Paul scored two more runs. UT Dallas's Avery Markley hit a solo home run in the top of the next frame to cut UMHB's lead to four but Tyeann Johnson slammed a two-RBI single in the bottom of the frame to extend UMHB's lead once again. Bailey Wagner added another run in the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo home run and Taylor Holman hit in Lexi Harris with an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth to secure the 10-2 win.
 
Harris and Wagner led the Cru with two hits and two runs each while Eggleston and Johnson each led with two RBI. Bayleigh Grogan earned the win in the circle for the Cru, pitching four innings with six hits and two runs allowed. Camryn Rucker threw two innings in relief, giving up one hit. Devyn Yanello took the loss for the Comets, throwing 1.2 innings with five hits and six runs allowed. UMHB totaled 10 runs on nine hits while the Comets had two runs on seven hits with three errors.

UMHB and the Comets finish the series tomorrow in an 11 a.m. doubleheader at Dee Dillon Field in Belton.