ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' softball team finished the series with ETBU winning the conclusion of game two from Monday night 5-3 and dropping game three 9-2 to the Tigers in American Southwest Conference play at Ellis Field.

Game two of the series began on Monday evening with looming thunderstorms rolling into the Abilene skyline.

The Tigers struck first with a run in the first, but the Cowgirls regained the lead scoring on a wild pitch and an RBI from Brittanie Henry in the second to make it 2-1 HSU.

ETBU launched a triple to the wall to score a run in the fourth, tying the game at 2-2. The Cowgirls again answered with suicide squeeze executed to perfection by Sarah Polanco to score a speedy Peyton Newman on her way from third to take the 3-2 lead after four.

Tristen Maddox knocked one out of the park to bring ETBU back even with the Cowgirls 3-3 in the fifth inning.

In the middle of the fourth, lightning began to strike in the area and soon after the bottom dropped out of the storm, causing the game to be suspended Monday night and concluded Tuesday before the final game.

To start off Tuesday after the break, the Cowgirls got another RBI from Polanco and scored on another wild pitch from the Tigers to get the lead 5-3 in the sixth inning. Ruiz held on to claim the win in the final inning for the Cowgirls.

The Cowgirls led with nine hits to seven for ETBU in the first game. HSU got away with three errors on the day to just one from the Tigers.

Karis Hessert led the Cowgirls with three hits in three tries at the plate. Newman and Henry both added a pair of Cowgirl hits as well.

Haven Williams started and had a strikeout and two earned runs on four hits in four innings. Ruiz finished and got the win with the late run support allowing three hits in two innings with a strikeout.

The Tigers took the lead in the last game in the first inning 1-0 and added another in the second. The Cowgirls scored on an error and a sac fly from Hessert in the second to tie the game at 2-2.

ETBU churned out another run in the third and the fourth inning saw two quick outs before what ended as a five-run inning for the Tigers, with every ball bouncing the wrong way for the Cowgirls.

The Tiger pieced another one on the board in the seventh and the Cowgirls could not get anyone home and fell by a final of 9-2 against ETBU.

The brightest spot for the Cowgirls on a long, cold afternoon in Abilene was a 3-3 day from Kadi Downs in the leadoff with a pair of steals as well. Hessert also gunned down two Tiger steal attempts from er catcher spot to keep the game alive.

The Cowgirls finish the series with an 8-3 record and 6-3 in ASC play. ETBU leaves Abilene at 6-3 and 6-3 in conference. The Cowgirls are headed to Texas-Dallas to take on the Comets at 4 p.m. Friday night in Richardson. 

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