BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team completed a three-game sweep of No. 7 East Texas Baptist University Saturday afternoon in Belton. The win improved the Cru to 114-8 on the season while the Tigers moved to 16-4.
 
Grason Long opened the game in the circle with a perfect first inning before Bryton Wright slammed a two-RBI single under the shortstop for a 2-0 UMHB lead. Long held her shutout until the third inning when Ashley Croft hit a two-RBI home run to knot the game at two. UMHB got back on top in the fifth inning when Lindsey Polleschultz scored on an RBI from Lexi Harris. The Cru scored an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a bases-loaded walk before Izzy Gutierrez slammed a two-RBI home run over the centerfield wall for a 6-2 Cru margin. East Texas Baptist added two more runs in the top of the seventh to cut the gap but Kami Flores came in with two outs, forcing a groundout to secure the 6-4 UMHB win.
 
Gutierrez led the Cru with two hits, followed by five other Crusaders with one each. Gutierrez also led the team in runs and RBI with two each. UMHB totaled six runs on seven hit with one error while the Tigers had four runs on seven hits with two errors. Grason Long earned the win in the circle, throwing 6.2 innings with seven hits and four runs allowed. Long struck out seven with just three walks on the day. Kami Flores earned the save, facing one batter in the seventh inning and forcing the game-winning groundout.
 
UMHB returns to action next week in a three-game series at LeTourneau University in Longview. The three-game sweep was the first in UMHB softball history against the Tigers and also the first time the Cru has ever won a conference series against ETBU.