BELTON, Texas (AP) — Mary Hardin-Baylor scored two quick fourth-quarter touchdowns and held off a late Hardin-Simmons rally to earn a 21-17 victory Saturday afternoon in an American Southwest Conference game at Crusader Stadium.
 
The Crusaders trailed 10-7 entering the fourth but took the lead for good when Asa Osbourn punched in a 10-yard touchdown run on the first play of the quarter. UMHB extended the margin just three minutes later when Kirkland Michaux connected with BJ Stewart for a 47-yard scoring strike that made it 21-10 with 11:38 to play.
 
Hardin-Simmons (8-1, 4-1) closed the gap midway through the quarter when Kyle Brown found tight end Christian Marshall for a 25-yard touchdown to finish a 76-yard drive..
 
The Cowboys' first touchdown came from their defense — linebacker Matt Pascuzzi scooped up a second-quarter fumble and returned it 73 yards to tie the game at 7-7. Pedro Altamirano's 26-yard field goal late in the third quarter briefly gave Hardin-Simmons a 10-7 lead.
 
Marshall led the Cowboys with three receptions for 29 yards and a score, while Brown completed 23 of 33 passes for 175 yards. Noah Garcia added 208 all-purpose yards. Linebacker Kade Sink paced the HSU defense with nine tackles, and the Cowboys forced turnovers.
 
Michaux finished 14 of 21 for 214 yards and a touchdown for UMHB, while Stewart caught nine passes for 131 yards. Osbourn ran for 70 yards on 13 carries, and Kamerin Ferguson added 30 yards and an early 7-yard touchdown run.
 
Both teams are now tied atop the American Southwest Conference standings with one league game remaining. HSU can clinch the automatic bid from the ASC win next week at home against East Texas Baptist.

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