Game 1

Hardin-Simmons scored an unearned run in the eighth inning and made it hold up in a 4-3 win.

HPU opened the scoring in the first on an RBI single by Erin McLeod. HSU tied the game in the fourth inning on a Lauren Williams RBI double.

The Cowgirls added a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Keagan Jiminez led off the inning with a single and she moved to second on a one-out bunt by Braleigh Middleton. Williams walked to load the bases and Carley Willis hit a sacrifice fly that scored Jiminez and Middleton came around to score when Williams was in a run down between first and second.  

The Jackets tied the game with single runs in the sixth and seventh inning both on two-out RBIs. Cherita George had an RBI single in the sixth and Gaby Muniz an RBI double in the seventh.

Jiminez led off the eighth with a single and moved up on a ground out. She came around to score when Middleton reached on an error.

Tori Rodriguez went the distance for the Cowgirls scattering five hits and allowing three runs. She struck out five to improve to 11-2 on the year. Celese Tierres took the loss in relief allowing two runs in three innings to fall to 6-14 on the year. Tayler Rushing started and slowed two runs on five hits in five innings.

Jiminez had three hits for the Cowgirls and Middleton added two. They both scored two runs each. Five different Lady Jackets had a hit.

Game 2

HSU scored a pair of runs in the third inning to take the lead when Jiminez had an RBI double and Middleton an RBI single.

The Cowgirls made it 4-0 in the fifth when Sarah Truleove had an RBI triple and she scored on a squeeze bunt from Sydnie Darden.

HPU scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game. The Lady Jackets had three straight singles to load the bases to start the inning and then Erin McLeod had a bases loaded walk for an RBI, a second run came on a wild pitch, the third came when Shandi Winstead had a sacrifice bunt and McLeod scored on a throwing error by Williams on a pickoff attempt.

Williams didn't take long to make up for the error as she singled home Middleton, who had led off the sixth inning with a double. HSU added a two-run home run from Kara LeLeux in the seventh to make it 7-4.

Lara Ammermann got the win for the Cowgirls as she went the distance. She allowed just four runs on seven hits to improve to 6-9 on the season. Rushing took the loss in relief to fall to 4-8 for HPU.

Truelove and Williams each had three hits for the Cowgirls. Rushing had two hits to pace Howard Payne.

The Cowgirls are now 19-13 overall and 16-10 in ASC action. Howard Payne fell to 10-23 overall and 6-19 in conference play. The teams will conclude the series with a single game at noon on Saturday.

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