ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' Cowgirl softball team won the rubber match of an American Southwest Conference series with the Concordia Tornados with an 8-5 win on Saturday at Ellis Field to take the series two games to one.
 
The Cowgirls split on Friday night, with a 4-3 loss and a 2-1 win playing Concordia. The 8-5 Cowgirl win on Saturday took the ASC series.
 
The Cowgirls got on the board with a sac fly RBI from Lindsey Ratcliffe in the first inning to lead 1-0.
 
Haley Henson drove in two more Cowgirl runs with a double and HSU plated another on an errant throw to go up 4-0 in the second inning.
 
The Tornados hit two two-run home runs in the third to tie the game at 4-4 and took the lead on a play on the bases in the fifth inning to lead 5-4.
 
Caitlin Clem pinch hit to save the day for the Cowgirls with an RBI-singles in the sixth to tie the game at 5-5. Addyson Kahklen came home to score the go-ahead run on a wild pitch and Kristen McMillan also scored on an error for the Cowgirls later in the inning.
 
Henson got another RBI on a sac fly to make it an 8-5 Cowgirl lead heading into the final inning. The Cowgirl defense held for the win, and Kylie Ruiz picked up the save pitching in the seventh inning.
 
Aubrianna Salazar started and went 3.1 innings with two strikeouts. Kelly Shackelford picked up the win with 2.2 innings and two strikeouts. Ruiz finished with one hit in the final inning for her first save of the year.
 
Henson led the Cowgirls in the lead off with a double and three RBIs in the game. Madi Hubbard got on base three times with three walks for the Cowgirl offense.
 
The Cowgirls take the ASC series and go to 16-3 on the season and 5-1 in the conference and will play the series at Howard Payne in Brownwood next weekend a day early for Easter weekend, beginning on Thursday at 1 & 3 p.m.
 
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