CLINTON, Miss. – Hardin-Simmons' softball team won both single elimination round games of the ASC Softball Championship Tournament on Thursday and will continue on Friday against Belhaven at 10 a.m. at the Mississippi College Softball Complex.

The Cowgirls squared off against McMurry in game one of the tournament. Each game on Thursday is single elimination before the ASC Championships move to double elimination on Friday.

Karis Hessert drove in the first Cowgirl run in the first inning which the War Hawks matched in the bottom of the inning to tie at 1-1. Hessert doubled home another run in the third to make it 2-1 HSU.

McMurry scored two to take the lead in the fourth, but the Cowgirls came back with a Hessert solo homerun followed by a Kaylen Washington RBI-double to take a 4-3 Hardin-Simmons' lead.

The War Hawks sent one yard in the sixth to tie the game 4-4. Sarah Diessner drove in Ashley Easley off a sac fly in the final inning to lead 5-4, and the Cowgirl defense held for the win.

Washington threw a complete game allowing three earned runs with five strikeouts for HSU. Peyton Newman and Diessner had three hits each to lead the team and Hessert had three RBIs with the homerun and double.

Game two pitted the Cowgirls against the Concordia Texas Tornados. The defense on was for game two, with the only Cowgirl scores coming from a fielder's choice and a wild pitch.

Concordia scored on a bad throw in the sixth, but the Cowgirl defense played it clutch in the final inning to secure the 2-1 victory and advance to the next round of the ASC Championship Tournament.

Washington started and had three hits allowed with a strikeout. Haven Williams came in and got the win with only four hits given up and one run.

Newman went three for three in game two, making it a red-hot six hits in seven at bats on Thursday. Diessner had the Cowgirl RBI.

Freshman right fielder Brittanie Henry tied the Cowgirl softball season record with a stolen base in game one. She now has 26 on the year.

The Cowgirls improve to 17-19 and most importantly survive the single elimination rounds of play at the ASC Championship Tournament. The HSU softball team will play Belhaven Friday at 10 a.m. and are scheduled to play again later in the day.

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