BELTON, Texas - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team split a Saturday doubleheader with No. 1 and reigning national-champion East Texas Baptist University Saturday afternoon in Belton. UMHB moved to 24-12 on the season while the Tigers went to 33-3.
 
Eileigh Whyte gave up just two hits through the first two innings and faced the minimum with a perfect frame in the third. UMHB got on the board in the bottom of that inning, scoring Shorey Nguyen on an RBI single from Bralyn Belk.
 
Whyte threw another perfect inning in the fourth and gave up one run in the fifth to knot the game at one. UMHB responded with four runs in the bottom of that frame to take back the lead. Belk singled to score Gabi Vela before Skinner singled to score Ava Jolley. Bryton Wright followed that with a two-RBI double to left field, scoring Skinner and Sydney Bearden for a 5-1 UMHB margin.
 
The Tigers put up three runs in the sixth but the Cru held them scoreless in the seventh to secure the 5-4 win. Whyte earned the complete-game win over the Tigers, throwing seven innings with four runs allowed. She walked just one batter and threw two strikeouts. Belk and Skinner led the Cru with two hits each while four other Crusaders each added one. Five different Crusaders combined for runs with Belk and Wright adding a team-high two RBI each.
 
UMHB totaled five runs on eight hits with one error while the Tigers had four runs on nine hits.
 
East Texas Baptist put up a single-run first inning to take the lead. Tori Skinner responded for the Cru, hitting a three-RBI home run to put the Cru on top. Bryton Wright immediately followed that with a solo shot, putting UMHB up by three.
 
The Tigers cut into the lead with a two-RBI double in the second inning to cut the lead to a single run but another home run from Wright plated two more Crusader runs. ETBU added two more runs in the top of the fourth to cut the back down one-run and took the lead with a grand slam in the top of the sixth. UMHB got runners on in the sixth and seventh innings but wasn't able to plate any more runs, ending the game in a 9-6 Tiger win.
 
UMHB threw a combined three pitchers in the contest. Wright and Skinner led the Cru with two hits, two runs and three RBI each. The Cru scored six runs on five hits with two errors while the Tigers had nine runs on 13 hits with two errors.