BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team split the final day of action at the 2023 American Southwest Conference Softball Championship Tournament. The Cru earned a 1-0 win over McMurry University to advance to the ASC Championship before falling by one-run to East Texas Baptist University in extra innings.
Grason Long opened the semifinal game with four perfect innings, throwing five strikeouts. Long let her first base-runner on in the fifth but forced a ground out to eliminate the threat.
Taylor Holman gave the Cru a lead in the top of the sixth inning, hitting a home run over the left centerfield wall for a 1-0 margin. Long followed that with two more perfect frames, throwing a no-hitter to give the Cru a 1-0 win in the semifinal.
Lindsey Polleschultz and
Taylor Holman both recorded hits in the game. Long threw six perfect frames with just one runner allowed, facing 22 batters in the contest. She ended the game with five strikeouts, nine fly outs and seven groundouts, throwing her second no-hitter of the season. Jenna Lewis took the loss for the Yellow Jackets, giving up two hits with one run allowed.
The win advanced the Cru to the ASC Championship game against East Texas Baptist University. ETBU loaded the bases to open the game, but the Cru executed two outs at home and forced a groundout to second to get out of the inning unscathed. UMHB held the Tigers to two more scoreless innings, highlighted by a caught stealing at home to keep the shutout. UMHB spoiled ETBU's no-hitter in the fifth when
Bailey Eggleston blasted a double to the right field wall.
Lexi Harris recorded another Crusader hit in the sixth but the Tigers got out of the jam to keep the game tied scoreless. Neither team scored in the seventh, sending the contest into extra frames.
Elliott opened the eighth inning reaching second on an error. Two batters later,
Julia Crofut doubled to left field to score Elliott for the 1-0 lead.
Kaitlin Powers came in to pinch run for Crofut and advanced to third on a groundout. Harris followed with a single to score Powers for the two-run lead going into the bottom of the inning. ETBU responded, putting on three base runners before Tauryn Cummings hit the championship-winning three-RBI double for the 3-2 victory.
Ashley Croft claimed the win for ETBU, pitching all eight innings and allowing five hits.
Kami Flores pitched the complete game for UMHB, allowing three runs on eight hits. Harris led the Cru with two hits and one RBI while three other Crusaders recorded a hit.
UMHB went through the elimination bracket to make the championship, going 3-2 in the tournament. The Cru is currently 32-11 on the season, marking the program's second-highest Division III win total.
East Texas Baptist earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Tournament. UMHB, who is currently ranked third in the region, also has a chance at a tournament at-large bid. ETBU and the Cru will learn their fate on Monday, May 15th in the NCAA Selection Show aired on NCAA.com at 12 p.m.
