ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' softball team showed out offensively with an 11-1 victory against the LeTourneau Yellowjackets on Friday night in American Southwest Conference play at Ellis Field.

Friday was the first game of the three game ASC series the Cowgirls will host against the Yellowjackets.

LeTourneau started out with a run in the first, but the Cowgirls got over that hump with a leadoff hit by Mason McCord followed by Kate Tovar escorting a ball out of the stadium with a line shot homerun to right center to take the lead 2-1.

Sarah Diessner doubled home two more and the Cowgirls led 4-1 after the inning. HSU extended the lead in the fifth starting with Peyton Newman hammering an infield single off the pitcher to score a run.

Diessner got her second double of the night to score one and Newman came home on a throwing error to follow. Kaylen Washington put a ball into the corner in left to score Diessner, and the Cowgirls led 8-1 after five. 

McCord and Tovar got on again in the sixth and then Karis Hessert cranked a homerun out of right field, and that was all she wrote for game one of the series, making it an 11-1 final score for the Cowgirl win.

Washington took the circle for the Cowgirls and scattered six hits with one run allowed and four strikeouts in the win. Jade Merrell started and had the loss for LeTourneau, and Bailey Richie had four strikeouts in relief.

Newman led the Cowgirls with a 3-3 hitting day including a double and an RBI. Hessert also had three hits with three RBIs on the homerun. Diessner took the team lead in RBIs after driving in three tonight.

The Cowgirls move to 6-11 and 2-5 in the ASC while LeTourneau falls to 5-7 and 4-6 in the conference. The action continues tomorrow starting at noon at Ellis Field in Abilene.

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