BELTON, Texas – University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team earned a pair of wins in the 2023 American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament to advance to Saturday's semifinal round. The Cru opened the day with a 6-1 win over the UT Dallas Comets before earning an 8-0 win over McMurry University. UMHB moved to 31-11 on the season with the wins.
 
UMHB opened the day with an elimination-game against the University of Texas at Dallas. The Cru took a 2-0 lead in the first inning against the Comets when Lexi Harris and Lindsey Polleschultz each stole home. The Cru tacked on two more runs in the third frame with a triple from Bailey Eggleston that Julia Crofut followed by an error to bring home Eggleston.
 
UMHB added two final runs in the bottom of the fourth with a double from Harris to score pinch runner Kaitlin Powers followed by a ground out to score Harris. The Comets recorded their only run in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI double. The Cru claimed a 6-1 win to continue play in the tournament.
 
Grason Long pitched six shutout innings for the Cru, allowing just one run on three hits. Emilie Hoelscher took the loss for the Comets, allowing four runs on four hits. UMHB totaled eight hits led by Harris and Eggleston with two hits and an RBI each.
 
UMHB played game two as the visiting team and opened the contest with four runs in the first. Lexi Harris singled and moved to second on a sacrifice from Lindsey Polleschultz. Izzy Gutierrez and Julia Crofut followed that with back-to-back walks to load the bases. Bailey Eggleston reached on an error to score both Harris and Gutierrez before Elissa Elliott hit in Eggleston and Crofut with an RBI double for a 4-0 UMHB lead.
 
Taylor Holman added three more runs for the Cru, slamming a three-RBI home run for a 7-0 UMHB lead in the top of the third. Grason Long ended her day after three shutout innings, allowing just three base runners off two hits and one walk.Holman struck again in fifth, scoring Bailey Eggleston for an 8-0 UMHB margin before Kami Flores threw three consecutive outs to preserve the 8-0 win.
 
Harris, Eggleston and Elliott led the Cru with two hits each while Eggleston had a team-high two runs and Holman led with four RBI. Flores ended her day after two innings, allowing just one hit. Three pitchers combined for the Yellow Jackets with Murphy Williams taking the loss.
 
UMHB advances to the semifinal round of the 2023 ASC Championship Tournament and will face McMurry University on Saturday, May 13th at 1:00 p.m.. The winner of that contest will advance to face East Texas Baptist University in the championship game on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. A potential if-needed game will be played either later on Saturday afternoon or Sunday.