The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team split a doubleheader with St. Catherine University Monday afternoon in Tyler, beating the Wildcats 9-2 before falling 4-1. UMHB moved to 18-7 on the day while the Wildcats went to 5-9.
Kylie Macziewski opened the game with a RBI double to put the Wildcats up by one run. St. Catherine held that lead until the top of the fourth when Emily Bounds doubled to score Logan Lowry and even the contest at 1-1. Devon Walter capitalized on a Cru offensive surge in the fourth, hitting a grand slam to right center field, scoring Linsey Tomlinson, Makenzi Dawson and Kourtney Cummings to give the Cru a 5-1 lead. UMHB recorded another four-run inning in the seventh to take a 9-1 lead. Tomlinson scored first off a Wildcat error before Dusti Douglas, Avery Kelly and Ashley Estrada all scored on a Wildcat error. St. Catherine added one more run in the bottom of the seventh but was unable to catch the Cru. Hannah Wolfe led the Cru with three hits each while Walter had a team-high four RBI and Tomlinson scored a team-high two runs. Hannah Halepaska earned the win in the circle for UMHB, pitching a complete seven innings with nine hits and just two runs allowed. Maddie Greer took the loss for the Wildcats, giving up two runs on three hits in four innings of work. UMHB totaled nine runs on 12 hits with no errors while St. Catherine had two runs on nine hits with three errors.
The second game was decided in the second inning when the Wildcats took a 4-0 lead. Jenna George hit a home run to center field to open the inning before Alyssa Wicks scored on an RBI double from Anna Hinderaker. Emily Saurer scored next off an RBI single from Amber Montero, giving St. Catherine a 4-0 lead. Hannah Wolfe responded for the Cru in the bottom of that inning, hitting a home run to cut the lead to three. Neither team was able to score again, finalizing the Wildcats' 4-1 win. Bounds led the Cru with two hits while Wolfe added one. Karen Tennis took the loss for UMHB, allowing four runs and four hits while CeCe Darilek pitched in relief, throwing 5.2 innings with just four hits allowed. UMHB totaled one run on three hits with one error while the Wildcats had eight hits and four runs.
UMHB returns to action on Thursday, March 29th in a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Sul Ross State in Alpine. The Cru finishes that series on Friday, March 30th in a 12 p.m. single game against the Lobos.
