BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team ended its historic season in the 2023 NCAA Division III Softball Regional Championship. The Cru tied the program-record for wins in a season with 35 and made the Cru's appearance in the NCAA Championship Tournament.
 
UMHB opened play with a three-run first inning. Taylor Henken got on base on a walk before stealing second. With two outs on the board, Taylor Holman sent one over the left center field wall to give the Cru a 2-0 lead. UMHB continued the two-out rally with a single from Bailey Eggleston followed by a single from Blakely Niles that scored Eggleston for the 3-0 lead.
 
Grason Long threw two shutout innings before the Vikings got on the board off an error in the bottom of the third. Berry added another solo frame in the fourth, driving in another run on a single from Katie Parker. 
 
The Cru extended the gap to four in the top of the fifth inning. Taylor Henken singled before scoring on a home run from Julia Crofut. Taylor Holman followed with a double then scored on a single from Elissa Elliott.
 
UMHB continued to hold the Vikings through the bottom of the fifth frame, as Grason Long recorded her 133rd strikeout of the season to break UMHB's record for strikeouts in a season. After a scoreless sixth inning, the Cru added two more in the next frame on an RBI single from Bailey Eggleston, scoring Kaitlin Powers and Kylie Green.
 
Berry College rallied in the bottom of the seventh, scoring five total runs. The Vikings had the bases loaded with the go-ahead runners on but a force out at home and a fly out to right field
ended the game in a 8-7 UMHB decision.
 
Holman led the Cru with three hits while Bailey Eggleston added two. UMHB totaled eight runs on 10 hits with seven Crusaders recording hits for the Cru. Grason Long threw 6.2 innings with seven hits and six runs allowed. Long struck out two batters in the win. Hannah Gore took her first loss of the season for the Vikings. Gore threw 4.1 innings with five hits and five runs allowed.
 
Grason Long opened game two with a pair of shutout innings in the circle. Berry College got on the board in the third inning off a two-run home run from Morgan Frye for their first lead of the day. UMHB rallied a game-tying offense in the fourth inning, scoring Kaitlin Powers on a single from Bailey Eggleston and Eggleston on a single from Blakely Niles.
 
Berry broke the tie in the top of the seventh, scoring Katie Parker off a single from Katie White. UMHB put runners on in the bottom of that frame but a double play eliminated the threat, advancing Berry College to the Super Regionals with a 3-2 win.
 
Niles led the Cru with two hits while five other Crusaders each added one. UMHB totaled two runs on seven hits in the contest. Kami Flores took the loss, throwing 4.2 innings with one hit and one run allowed. Grason Long threw 2.1 innings with five hits and two runs allowed. Both pitchers combined for five strikeouts in the game.
 
Berry College will advance to face Belhaven University in a three-game series on Friday, May 26th - Saturday, May 27th. The winner of that series advances to the finals located at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall. Grason Long, Bailey Eggleston and Taylor Holman were all named to the All-Regional Team.