FARMERS BRANCH, Texas — Hardin-Simmons' softball team split a pair of games on Friday at the American Southwest Conference First Pitch Tournament at Oran Good Park in Farmer's Branch, falling 4-3 to East Texas Baptist and rebounding to beat Ozarks, 3-2. 

In the nightcap, HSU received a strong pitching performance from senior Sarah Shurbet. She went the distance and scattered four hits and allowed just one earned run while walking none and striking out one to improve to 1-2 on the year.

It was the first loss of the year for Ozarks, who fell to 4-1 on the year.

HSU scored its first run in the second inning. Carley Willis led off with a walk and Shelby McIntyre singled her to second. They both moved up on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bailey Watkins.

Ozarks scored an unearned run in the second inning on a RBI single by Brittany Ferguson. HSU answered with two runs in the third inning. Mac Clay singled and moved to third on a single by Taylor Namey with one out. Willis reached on an error to first base driving home Clay. McIntyre followed with an RBI single.

Ozarks added the final ruin in the seventh when Shelby Russo had an RBI single.

McIntyre had two of the Cowgirls five hits in the game.  

In the first game, the Cowgirls rally against No. 23 East Texas Baptist came up just short as the Cowgirls had the winning run at second base and the tying run at third base when the final out was made.

Laine Stickland and Amy Meyer led off the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles and Mac Clay doubled them both home to make the game 4-2. Blair Wallace then singled to left to put runners on the corners and Taylor Namey singled home Clay to make it 4-3 with runners at first and second and no outs. Carley Willis then flew out to center field, Julia Bradley grounded out to move the runners to second and third with two out and Sara Quintanar went down swinging to end the game.

The Cowgirls had 12 hits in the game and left 10 runners on base.

Wallace went the distance in the circle to fall to 2-1 on the year. She allowed eight hits and four runs, but only one was earned. She walked five and struck out two. She also led the team with three hits. Meyer added two hits and Clay had two hits and drove in two runs.

ETBU scored a run in the third inning when Krista Cordova was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The Tigers added three more runs in the fifth inning. The Tigers scored on a squeeze bunt by Allison Burton and then Kristin Wersterfer had a two-run single.

Kaylee Davis went the distance in the circle and improved to 3-0 on the year. She allowed 12 hits and three runs, walked two and struck out seven. Wersterfer had two hits and drove in two runs.

HSU is now 3-3 on the year and all three losses have been by one run. The Cowgirls return to action on Saturday, facing No. 2 Texas-Tyler at 10 a.m. and No. 21 Louisiana College at 3 p.m.

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