ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' softball team defeated the Austin College Kangaroos twice on Tuesday afternoon by scores of 5-4 and 8-0 playing at Ellis Field on Grape Street.

There were some theatrics in game number one of the day that the Cowgirls overcame, pulling out the win in the final inning 5-4.

The Cowgirls had a nice first inning with Karis Hessert belting a two-run homer on a line out of left field to take the lead after one.

A little trouble starting brewing for Hardin-Simmons in the second with two Austin College Roos in scoring position and no outs. The Roo batter laid down a bunt, but the throw to first skipped off the runner's helmet, clearing the right fielder and rolling all the way to the wall, scoring two.

The Cowgirls were able to mop up the inning without any more Roo hits, but Austin College came away with three runs in the second to take the lead 3-2. A Kangaroo double in the sixth that trailed into the corner scored another run, making it 4-2 Austin College in the sixth inning.

With some work to do, Faith Fernandez doubled home a run to chip away at the lead, but the Cowgirls headed to the seventh inning down 4-3.

Haley Henson pinch hit to lead off the final inning with a single and then stole second. Brittanie Henry moved the tying-run over to third before Sarah Polanco got the squeeze bunt down to score Henson, making it 4-4 in the seventh.

Hessert started the game with a homerun for the Cowgirls and finished it with a walk-off single that bounced off the wall in left to score the winning run for the Cowgirls, 5-4.

Kaylen Washington pitched a complete game for Hardin-Simmons with five strikeouts and only one of the four runs allowed being earned on just four hits to get the Cowgirl win in the circle. 

Kadi Downs and Hessert each had three hits in game one for Hardin-Simmons, and Hessert led with three RBIs.

Game two took the stress off for the Cowgirls, who rolled to an 8-0 win after five innings, riding a great day from Aubrianna Salazar, pitching a two-hitter with seven strikeouts in just five innings for HSU.

Hessert singled to score the first Cowgirl run in the first inning and Polanco singled to score another in the second.

Hessert got another RBI on a sac fly in the second and McCord drove in a run on the third for the Cowgirls to make it 4-0.

Sarah Diessner launched a triple in the gap to clear the bases and score two more in the third inning to bring it to 6-0 Cowgirls. Madison Mayhew hit a sac fly in the fourth to make it a 7-0 lead for HSU.

The Cowgirls ended the day with a bang, as Audrey Solomon pinch hit in the fifth and went yard with a moonshot solo-homerun to crack the 8-0 margin and walk it off with a trot around the bases.

The Cowgirls led with ten hits to two for Austin in game two, again behind the performance of Salazar's seven strikeouts and two-hit shutout win.

Diessner had two of those hits with a triple and also led the Cowgirls with two RBIs in game two.

The Cowgirl team improves to 13-5 on the season with a doubleheader against the St. Thomas (Tex.) Celts tomorrow beginning at noon at Ellis Field in Abilene. 

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