ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' Cowgirl softball team swept the UMHB Crusaders on Monday with wins of 5-1 and 3-2 to take the American Southwest Conference series at Ellis Field.
 
Mary Hardin-Baylor started the day with a run in the first inning to lead 1-0, but the Cowgirls held them scoreless for the next six innings to win 5-1 in game one.
 
Haley Henson, Madi Hubbard, and Lindsey Ratcliffe each had RBIs in the third inning for the Cowgirls to take the lead 3-1.
 
Henson had her second RBI and Grace Thompson singled to score for Hardin-Simmons in the fourth and fifth innings for the Cowgirls to win 5-1 in game one.
 
Akaysia Grogan pitched a complete game for the Cowgirls with seven innings and two strikeouts with just three hits allowed in the win.
 
Thompson had three hits with a double to lead the Cowgirls. Ratcliffe finished game one with two hits for Hardin-Simmons.
 
Game two went down to the wire and then some in a ten-inning affair. UMHB scored a run in the third and fifth innings before the Cowgirls pulled back to tie the game 2-2 in the sixth inning.
 
Ella Salinas singled to get two Cowgirl RBIs in the sixth inning to tie the game for Hardin-Simmons.
 
The Cowgirls had a few chances before getting the bases loaded in the tenth inning. Salinas singled up the middle for a walk-off 3-2 Cowgirl win, taking the series 3-1 over UMHB in ASC play.
 
The Cowgirls had 12 hits in game two, led by Jacobs and Ratcliffe with three hits each. Salinas finished with two hits and led with three RBIs.
 
Hardin-Simmons held UMHB to six hits in ten innings behind a strong day from Gabby Montanez. She had two strikeouts with only two runs allowed in the win, pushing her to 11-0 on the year.
 
The Cowgirls improved to 19-4 and 3-1 in the American Southwest Conference. The Cowgirls will travel to LeTourneau on April 11 for another conference series for two games Friday starting at 4 p.m.
 
--- www.hsuathletics.com ---