BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team earned a pair of wins over No. 19 Hardin-Simmons University Wednesday evening in Belton, tying the Cowgirls for first-place in the ASC standings. UMHB improved to 18-9 on the season and 11-3 in American Southwest Conference action while the Cowgirls dropped to 22-5 overall and 11-3 in league action.
Grason Long gave up an early hit in the first inning but retired the next three batters in order to keep the shutout. The Cowgirls loaded the bases in the top of the second but Long again pitched out of the jam, holding HSU scoreless through two. Long pitched perfect frames in the third and fourth before UMHB got on top with a two-run fourth inning.
Izzy Gutierrez opened the inning with a single before
Julia Crofut reached on a hit-by-pitch.
Lindsey Polleschultz loaded the bases off an error before
Blakely Niles slammed a double down the left field line to score Gutierrez and
Kylie Green.
Hardin-Simmons cut the gap in the next frame with an RBI double from Kristen McMillan. Long followed that with two more perfect innings to secure the 2-1 win. Long threw all seven innings with just five hits allowed, striking out three batters. Six different Crusaders recorded hits while Easley led the Cowgirls with two hits. UMHB totaled two runs on six hits while the Cowgirls had one run on five hits with two errors.
UMHB used a three-run first inning to open game two with a lead.
Izzy Gutierrez hit an RBI double to score
Elissa Elliott before
Taylor Holman slammed a two-run home run over the centerfield wall for a 3-0 UMHB lead. Hardin-Simmons put on a pair of runners in the second inning but a fly out and a solo double-play from Elliott eliminated the threat. The Cowgirls put on one base runner in the third and the fourth before Flores pitched perfect frames in the fifth, sixth and seventh to maintain the shutout.
Flores pitched a complete seven-inning contest with just four hits allowed. She struck out six of 23 batters and did not walk a single batter. Five different Crusaders combined for hits while three scored runs and Holman batted in a pair.
The Cru closes the series tomorrow in a 10 a.m. single game at Dee Dillon Field in Belton.
