BELTON, Texas - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team split its 2023 season opener with University of St. Thomas (Houston) Saturday in Belton. UMHB opens the season at 1-1 overall while the Celts moved to 2-2.
 
The first game played as a pitcher's duel with just five combined hits in seven regulation innings. UMHB's defense held the shutout in the first frame of extra innings with stifling defensive work. Extra innings place a runner on second at the open. Jaelyn Simmons was the placed runner for the Celts, advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt from Delayne Moreno on the first UST at-bat. Kami Flores struck out the next batter before forcing a groundout to third, taking the Cru into the bottom of the eighth still scoreless.
 
Malyn Simmons was the Cru's placed runner and advanced on the first at-bat off a sacrifice bunt from Lindsey Polleschultz. Sierra Grant came in as a pinch hitter for the Cru, hitting a sacrifice fly to left center field to score Simmons for the 1-0 extra-inning win. Flores threw an eight-inning shutout with just two hits allowed. She struck out seven in the contest, forcing 10 groundouts in 28 batters faced. Alli Hughes took the loss for the Celts, giving up three hits and one run in 7.2 innings of work. Lexi Harris, Elissa Elliott and Polleschultz all recorded hits for the Cru while Grant had UMHB's lone RBI. UMHB had one run on three hits with two errors while the Celts totaled two hits and one error.
 
The second game mirrored the first with three scoreless innings at the open. The Celts had a legitimate scoring opportunity in the top of the fourth, but Bailey Eggleston threw out a runner from left field to preserve the shutout. Lexi Harris opened the bottom of the fourth with a slicing triple down the right field line before Lindsey Polleschultz scored her on the next at-bat. Blane Simmons scored later in the inning off a double from Elissa Elliott to put the Cru up by two. The Celts responded in the top of the sixth with four runs to take a two-run lead. UMHB was unable to catch up, falling 4-2 to the Celts.
 
Harris led the Cru with two hits while Polleschultz and Elliott each added one. Grason Long pitched 6.1 innings with five hits and four strikeouts while Emilee Wade added 0.2 innings in the circle. Bailey Tisdale earned the win for the Celts, pitching seven innings with four hits and two runs allowed. UMHB totaled two runs on four hits with two errors while the Celts had four runs on eight hits.
 
UMHB returns to action on Thursday, February 23^rd in a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Southwestern University in Georgetown. The Cru returns home in a 11 a.m. doubleheader against Trinity University on Saturday, February 25^th.