COLUMBUS- Ga. – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team split the second day of action at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic Saturday in Columbus. The Cru dropped a contest to Trine before earning a 5-1 win over College of Saint Benedict.
UMHB jumped to an early lead in the first game with a Taylor Henken score off an RBI from Bailey Frenzel. Allyse Castillo extended that gap in the same frame, scoring on an error for a 2-0 Cru lead. Trine University took over from there, scoring 10 unanswered runs for the win. The Storm scored four second-inning runs, highlighted by a three-RBI home run from Lauren Gannon. Trine added one more run on an RBI single to take a 4-2 lead after the first two frames. The Storm added five more runs in the fourth with a trio of RBI doubles and a home run from Debbie Hill. Trine added one more run in the fifth for the 10-2 win.
Four different Crusaders recorded hits while Henken and Castillo added the Cru's two runs. Eileigh Whyte took the loss for UMHB, throwing 3.2 innings with six hits allowed while Ella Gamblin threw 1.1 innings, allowing just three hits with two strikeouts.
Tori Skinner gave UMHB a lead in game two, hitting a home run in the first inning for a 3-0 Cru lead. UMHB held that margin until the second inning when the Bennies scored a run on a fielder's choice. Bailey Frenzel extended the lead in the third inning with an RBI double that score Taylor Henken before Kaitlin Powers scored on a sacrifice fly from Tori Skinner for the 5-1 win.
Bailey Eggleston, Bailey Frenzel and Taylor Henken all recorded three hits while Skinner had a team-high four RBI. UMHB totaled five runs on nine hits with one error in the contest.
Whyte earned the win for the Cru, throwing seven innings with six hits and one run allowed. The struckout three batters in the contest, facing 30 total batters.
UMHB closes tournament action on Sunday, March 3rd with contests against Piedmont University and Concordia University Wisconsin.
