MARSHALL, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' Cowgirl softball team pitched a shutout to defeat the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders 5-0 in the first round of the 2026 American Southwest Conference championship tournament and advance to the winners' bracket for the Friday game at 3 p.m.
The Cowgirls will play the winner of the ETBU and Howard Payne game played Thursday night.
Akaysia Grogan went the distance in the shutout, pitching seven innings of two-hit softball with four strikeouts.
Grogan and the Cowgirl defense were near perfect on the day until the Crusaders led off with a single and a double in the fifth inning for runners on second and third with no outs. Grogan struck out the next batter and pitched a pair of fly outs to keep the runners stranded and hold the shutout intact.
Madi Hubbard drove in a run to give the Cowgirls the lead in the third inning, and
Emily Jacobs doubled home two more RBIs to lead 3-0.
Erin Love doubled in the sixth inning and
Grace Thompson and
Jazlynn Cantu each bunted for singles, Cantu with an RBI.
Kinzley Cantu added a sac fly RBI to make it 5-0 Cowgirls in the win.
Kinzley Cantu and Jacobs had two hits each, Jacobs with two RBIs and two doubles against UMHB.
The Cowgirls advance to the next round on Friday at 3 p.m., with the winner of the next game advancing to the ASC championship series on Saturday in Marshall, Texas
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