BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team earned a 9-3 win over LeTourneau University Friday evening in Belton. The win improved the Cru to 23-9 on the season while the YellowJackets moved to 11-19.  
 
LeTourneau opened the game with a pair of runs, scoring on an RBI double from Madelyn Tannery and a sacrifice fly from Alysa Torres. Izzy Gutierrez responded for UMHB in the bottom of that frame, hitting a double to score Lexi Harris and Milly Cesare. The YellowJackets added one more run in the top of the second to take another lead before the Cru offense surged with five runs in the third. Blakely Niles hit in Milly Cesare with an RBI single before Elissa Elliott drove in a pair of runs with an RBI double. Bailey Eggleston followed that with an RBI single to score Elliott before Allyse Castillo hit the final RBI of the inning, scoring Eggleston for a 7-3 UMHB win. The Cru added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 9-3 lead after five innings and held onto that for the win.
 
Cesare and Elliott led the Cru with three hits while Eggleston and Gutierrez each added two. Seven Crusaders scored runs for the Cru while Gutierrez, Elliott and Elisabeth Paul each added two RBI. Bayleigh Grogan started the game for the Cru, throwing 2.1 innings with six hits and three runs allowed. Grason Long threw in relief, putting in 4.2 innings of work with four strikeouts. UMHB totaled nine runs on 14 hits with one error while the YellowJackets had three runs on 14 hits with no errors.
 
Series play continues on Friday, April 15^th with a 12 p.m. doubleheader at Dee Dillon Field in Belton.