ABILENE, Texas - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team split a Sunday doubleheader at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. The Cru earned a 5-2 win in game one before falling 5-4 in the second contest. UMHB went to 18-8 overall and 3-3 in American Southwest Conference action while the Cowgirls moved to 17-4 overall and 1-1 in league play. 

Hardin-Simmons jumped to an early lead in game one, scoring in the bottom of the first off an RBI single. The Cru responded in the top of the next frame, taking a 3-1 lead. Tori Skinner singled to score Vic Shimabukuro, before Madeline Stephenson scored Lindsey Polleschultz with a fielder's choice. Bailey Frenzel followed that, slamming an RBI single to score Shorey Nguyen putting the Cru ahead by two. 

Eileigh Whyte threw a perfect inning in the bottom of the third and UMHB tacked on two more runs in the fourth. Polleschultz singled to score Shimabukuro before stealing home, giving the Cru a 5-1 lead. Whyte answered with another perfect frame and gave up just one more run in the contest, keeping the Cru's 5-2 win. 

Whyte threw seven complete innings with seven hits and two runs allowed. She added seven strikeouts in the outing and did not walk a single batter. UMHB totaled eight hits, led by Polleschultz, Nguyen and Shimabukuro with eight each. Polleschultz and Shimabukuro each added a two runs while four different Crusaders combined for RBI. UMHB totaled five runs on eight hits with one error while the Cowgirls had two runs on seven hits with no errors. 

Bailey Frenzel opened game two with a two-run home run, which was mirrored in the bottom of that frame by HSU's Emily Jacobs. Kyler Sanders tacked on another run for the Cru in the second but the Cowgirls responded, scoring off an error. Ava Jolley scored another go-ahead for the Cru in the third, reaching home on an error but the Cowgirls answered again, scoring on an RBI single to keep the game tied at four. 

The knot held until the bottom of seventh when Madi Hubbard hit a single to center, scoring Honor Knott to secure the 5-4 win for Hardin-Simmons. Nguyen and Frenzel led the Cru with two hits each while Frenzel had a team-high two RBI. 

Chloee Miller took the loss for the Cru, throwing 6.2 innings with nine hits and five runs allowed. Miller gave up four earns runs and struck out two batters in the outing. 

UMHB returns to action in another doubleheader against the Cowgirls on Monday, April 7th in Abilene.