MARSHALL, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team dropped a pair of matches at No. 4 East Texas Baptist University Friday evening in Marshall.  The Tigers improved to 16-1 on the season and 8-0 in American Southwest Conference play while the Cru fell to 8-10 overall and 2-6 in league play.
 
ETBU took an early lead with single-run frames in the first and third innings for a 2-0 margin. UMHB responded in the fourth when Tori Skinner slammed a two-RBI double in the top of the fourth, scoring Allyse Castillo and Bralyn Belk for a 2-2 tie. The Tigers responded in the bottom of that frame with a sacrifice fly followed by a run on an error for a 4-2 lead. ETBU added one more run in the sixth off a home run to give the Tigers a 5-2 victory.
 
Five different Crusaders recorded hits for the Cru while Belk and Castillo added runs. UMHB totaled two runs on five hits with one error while the Tigers had five runs on 12 hits with two errors. Eileigh Whyte took the loss for the Cru, pitching the full six innings.
 
UMHB threatened early in the second inning of game two, putting runners in scoring position but got thrown out at home to eliminate the threat. The Cru took a lead in the next inning, scoring Allyse Castillo off a single from Lindsey Polleschultz for a one-run margin.
 
The Cru held onto that lead until the fifth inning when they added another solo-run frame off another Castillo score. The Tigers responded in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs to take a 3-2 lead. Bryton Wright doubled to score Polleschultz for the equalizer in the top of the sixth before Taylor Henken doubled to score Shorey Nguyen for another Cru lead.
 
ETBU evened the game in the bottom of that inning with a solo home run and regained the lead with a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch. Both offenses exploded in the seventh, scoring a combined 10 runs. Bralyn Belk and Bailey Frenzel opened the inning with back-to-back singles before Gabriela Vela hit in Reese Albrecht with another single for a 5-5 tie. Kylie Green was the next Crusader score, reaching on a single from Madeline Stephenson before Shorey Nguyen scored Lindsey Polleschultz with a hit to third base. Taylor Henken drove in the final two runs for the Cru, giving UMHB a 9-5 lead with three outs to play.
 
The Tigers opened the bottom of that frame with a run off an error and added one more on an RBI double. ETBU sealed the win two batters later when Tristan Maddox hit a three-RBI home run to propel the Tigers to the 10-9 win.
 
Henken led the Cru with three hits while Castillo, Vela, Polleschultz and Nguyen each added two. Castillo, Polleschultz and Nguyen also added two runs while Henken drove in a team-high three runs. UMHB totaled nine runs on 15 hits with one error in the contest.
 
Chloee Mason and Eileigh Whyte split time in the circle for UMHB. Mason threw six innings with 12 hits and six runs allowed while Whyte pitched in relief, giving up four runs on three hits.
 
The Cru closes the series in a 12 p.m. single game on Saturday, March 23^rd.