The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team split a doubleheader at Louisiana College Thursday afternoon in Pineville, falling 1-0 to the Wildcats before earning a 7-2 win. UMHB improved to 23-10 on the season and 17-6 in American Southwest Conference play while the Wildcats moved to 16-15 overall and 14-9 in league action.
UMHB and Louisiana College combined for five base runners in the first two innings but neither team was able to score. Louisiana College finally scored a runner in the bottom of the third inning. Sami Walters doubled to left field then advanced on an error. Walter scored on the next at-bat when Mattie Stine reached on an RBI fielder's choice. UMHB put two more runners on base but was unable to score, surrendering the 1-0 win to the Wildcats. Makenzi Dawson and Devon Walter were the only two Crusaders to record hits in the contest while Linsey Tomlinson reached on a walk. Hannah Halepaska pitched a complete six innings in the contest, allowing three hits and just one unearned run. Halepaska faced 23 batters, striking out one and walking just two. Savannah Settle earned the win for Louisiana College, pitching seven innings in the shutout win. Settle allowed just two hits, walked one batter and recorded two strikeouts. UMHB totaled two hits and one error while Louisiana College had one run on three hits with one error.
The Cru founds its offense in the second contest, scoring seven runs to take a 7-2 win over the Wildcats. Dawson gave UMHB a lead in the first inning, scoring off an RBI single from Kourtney Cummings. Linsey Tomlinson scored in the bottom of the second off an RBI single from Dusti Douglas before hitting a three-RBI home run in the third, scoring Walter and Jessica Picou for a 5-0 UMHB advantage. Dawson and Douglas put up runs for the Cru in the top of the sixth, reaching on an RBI double by Emily Bounds to give UMHB a 7-0 lead. Louisiana College added single run innings in the sixth and the seventh, giving the Cru a 7-2 win. Tomlinson led the Cru with three runs and three RBI while she and Dawson scored a team-high two runs. Karen Tennis earned the win in the circle for the Cru, pitching a complete seven innings with nine hits and two runs allowed. Tennis struck out four batters and allowed just one earned run. Chelsea Lewis took the loss for Louisiana College, pitching three innings with seven hits and five runs allowed. Cameron Crochet threw in relief, allowing two runs on four hits in four innings of work. UMHB totaled seven runs on 11 hits with three errors while the Wildcats had two runs on nine hits with on error.
UMHB continues action with a series-ending single game on Friday, April 13th at noon.
