ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' softball team did not have the ball bounce their way on Friday night in two losses to No. 1 East Texas Baptist late in the games in American Southwest Conference play at Ellis Field.
The Cowgirls matched up with the top team East Texas Baptist and defending national champions of Division III with the regular season ASC championship and right to host the conference tournament on the line in a four-game series beginning Friday.
The Cowgirls looked great for the first six innings of game one, up 2-1 over the Tigers.
Ella Salinas doubled home a run in the third and the Tigers tied the game 1-1 in the fourth.
Jazlynn Cantu hit an RBI-single to make it 2-1 Cowgirls in the fourth inning.
The Tigers scored two on a strange fielders choice play with the bases loaded that ended in an error to give ETBU the 3-2 lead in the seventh inning. The opponent scored two more and the Cowgirls could only scratch one in the 5-3 loss in game one.
The Cowgirls had just four hits and two were from Cantu, including a triple.
Gabby Montanez started and threw five plus innings with two strikeouts and scattered eight hits for one run allowed.
Akaysia Grogan threw an inning and had the loss with a strikeout and
Kelly Shackelford finished the game for HSU.
The Cowgirls got out to another lead in game two, this time up 6-0 through five innings.
Kristen McMillan drove in an RBI on a cue ball off the bat and through the legs of the pitcher in the second inning.
Haley Henson followed McMillan with two on base with a single to center field that somehow got past the center fielder. Henson came all the way home and everyone scored on the play to make it 4-0 Cowgirls with an RBI and two scoring on the bizarre error.
Madi Hubbard had an RBI in the third and
Grace Thompson had a sac fly RBI in the fifth and the Cowgirls were smooth sailing up 6-0 after five innings. The Tigers were held to only one hit in the first five innings of game two.
ETBU scored two runs on one hit in the sixth to cut it to 6-2 and then the wheels fell off for the Cowgirls in the seventh inning. ETBU scored six runs that were all unearned with two Cowgirl errors and five hits in the half inning to lead 8-6 and stun the Cowgirls for the win late.
Henson,
Lindsey Ratcliffe, and
Madi Hubbard all had two hits to lead the team. Grogan started and pitched six innings before giving way to Montanez in the seventh, who finished with the loss in the comeback by ETBU.
Hannah Aaron pitched for the final Cowgirl out against one batter.
The Cowgirls finish Friday with a record of 31-6 and 11-3 in conference play and still have a chance to take the series with two more games against No. 1 ETBU on Saturday scheduled for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Ellis Field.
--- www.hsuathletics.com ---
