BROWNWOOD, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team claimed a 2-1 win over Howard Payne University in eight innings Saturday afternoon in Brownwood. The Cru improved to 6-2 on the season and 3-0 in American Southwest Conference action while the Yellow Jackets fell to 3-6 overall and 0-3 in league play.

Grason Long opened the game with three perfect innings in the circle for UMHB, throwing five strikeouts. The Yellow Jackets got on the board in the fourth inning on a sacrifice flyout to score Forrester, taking a 1-0 lead. Izzy Gutierrez responded in the sixth inning, scoring the equalizer on a passed ball. The game remained knotted until extra innings when Kami Flores doubled to score Elissa Elliott for a 2-1 UMHB lead. Flores faced four batters in the bottom of the eighth, forcing three groundouts to earn the 2-1 victory.

Long started off in the circle for UMHB, throwing four innings with two hits and one run allowed. Kami Flores came in as reliever and claimed the win, pitching the final four innings. She only allowed two hits and recorded one strikeout. UMHB outhit the Yellow Jackets 7-4, led by Bailey Eggleston with two.

UMHB returns to action with a three-game series March 10-11^th against McMurry University in Belton. The Cru kicks off the series with a doubleheader on Friday starting at 4:00 p.m. followed by a single game at noon on Saturday.