BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team secured a three-game sweep of Concordia University Texas with a big fifth inning Sunday afternoon in Belton. The Cru used an eight-run frame to win the final contest of the series 9-5. UMHB improved to 25-12 on the season and 19-8 in American Southwest Conference action while the Tornados fell to 22-15 overall and 16-11 in league play.
 
UMHB scored first in the bottom of the second inning when Izzy Gutierrez scored an RBI from Elisabeth Paul. The Tornados responded in the top of the next frame, scoring three runs on an RBI double and a home run. Concordia Texas added one more run in the top of the fourth before UMHB's bats made a comeback in the bottom of the fifth, scoring eight runs for a 9-4 lead.  UMHB opened the inning with five consecutive base hits scoring Bailey Eggleston, Camdyn McEowen and Alyssa Bates. Tyeann Johnson scored on a fielder's choice before Elissa Elliott hit in Cesare and Lexi Harris with a double down the right field line. UMHB added two more runs on a groundout and a single, giving the Cru a five-run advantage. Concordia Texas added one more run in the top of the sixth but UMHB fought off the Tornados offense in the seventh to preserve the 9-5 win.
 
Lexi Harris, Bailey Eggleston, Elisabeth Paul and Alyssa Bates led the Cru with two hits each while four other Crusaders added one. Eggleston led the Cru with two runs while Elliott and Bates recorded a team-high two RBI. Camryn Rucker, Jules Martinez and Bayleigh Grogan all threw for the Cru. Rucker threw 3.2 innings with four hits and four runs allowed. Martinez pitched 1.1 innings in relief with one run and two hits allowed while Grogan pitched the final two innings for UMHB, giving up one hit and striking out two batters. UMHB totaled nine runs on 12 hits with two errors while the Tornados had five runs on seven hits with one error.

UMHB won the West Division and earned a first-round bye in the American Southwest Conference Softball Championship Tournament. The tournament bracket and more information will be available this week on cruathletics.com and ascsports.org.