BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team broke out the big bats and completed a weekend sweep of Howard Payne University with a 15-6 win over the Yellow Jackets Saturday in Belton. The Cru improves to 17-11 overall and 11-7 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. The loss drops the Yellow Jackets to 12-13 overall and 7-11 in the ASC on the season.
 
UMHB grabbed a 3-0 lead on Bailey Wagner's two-run homer and Taylor Holman's solo blast in the bottom of the first. HPU put up a run in the top of the second, but the Cru exploded for seven runs in the bottom of that inning. Tyeann Johnson led off the inning with a home run, Elissa Elliott was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Wagner singled home a run, Holman followed with a two-run single, Bailey Eggleston added an RBI single and Johnson drove in another run with a groundout to make it 10-1. The Yellow Jackets scored four in the top of the third, but UMHB answered with five more in the bottom of the inning. Wagner blasted a grand slam and Holman scored on a passed ball to put the Cru up 15-5. Howard Payne scored a run in the top of the fourth but the game ended in the next inning on the run rule.
 
Wagner finished 3-3 and tied the UMHB single-game record with seven RBI. Milly Cesare had four hits in the game and Holman added three hits and three RBI. Bailey Grogan earned the win with five innings of five-hit pitching. She allowed just two earned runs and struck out five to raise her record to 11-7 on the season.
 
UMHB will return to action with a three-game ASC series at McMurry University next weekend. The two teams will open that series with a 3 pm doubleheader on Friday and close out the weekend with a 12 pm single game Saturday in Abilene.