The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team opened the 2019 season with a doubleheader at No. 21 East Texas Baptist University, falling 6-5 and 8-5 to the Tigers. UMHB opens the season at 0-2 while the Tigers improved to 3-0 overall.
ETBU used a three-run second inning to gain advantage in the opening game. Emily Deramus and Morgan Arst hit back-to-back RBI singles before Mackenzie Anderson was hit by a pitch to score the Tigers’ third runner. Kasi Cummings opened UMHB’s comeback with an RBI single in the top of the third, scoring Taygan Landrey. Emily Bounds followed that with a triple to score Kasi Cummings before Hannah Wolfe hit in Bounds with an RBI single to tie the game at three. UMHB took its first lead in the top of the fifth when Kourtney Cummings scored Bounds with an RBI single. Avery Kelly drove in one more run for the Cru with an RBI single, giving UMHB a 5-3 advantage after four and a half innings. Deramus responded in bottom of that frame, slamming a three-RBI double to give the Tigers a 6-5 lead. UMHB saw two base runners in the top of the seventh but neither were able to score, giving the Tigers a 6-5 win.
Bounds and Kourtney Cummings led the Cru with three hits each while Bounds scored a team-high two runs and four Crusaders each recorded an RBI. Kathryn Reed took the loss for the Cru, pitching 4.2 innings with six hits and six runs allowed. Reed struck out five batters and walked just three. Jacqueline Kay pitched in relief of Reed, throwing 1.1 shutout innings with no hits or runs allowed. UMHB totaled five runs on nine hits with no errors while the Tigers had six runs on six hits with two errors.
The second contest stayed scoreless until the top of the third when Landrey scored on an error to put the Cru up by one run. UMHB pitched four scoreless innings to the Tigers before the ETBU offense took off, putting up eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a seven-run lead. Bounds jumpstarted a UMHB comeback in the top of the seventh, hitting a sacrifice fly to score Jessi Ives. Wolfe and Kourtney Cummings followed that with back-to-back RBI doubles before Avery Kelly added an RBI single. UMHB’s run ended with four runs in the inning, giving the Tigers an 8-5 victory.
Kasi Cummings led the Cru with two hits while five Crusaders added runs. Three Crusaders split time in the circle for UMHB. Bayleigh Grogan earned the start, pitching four innings with three hits and three runs allowed. Kay pitched 0.2 innings in relief, giving up five runs on five hits before Camryn Rucker closed out the game with two hits allowed. UMHB totaled five runs on eight hits with one error while ETBU had eight runs on eight hits with one error.
UMHB returns to action tomorrow in a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Pacific University hosted by East Texas Baptist University in Marshall. The Cru opens home and ASC play on Friday, February 15th in a 4 p.m. doubleheader against UT Dallas at Dee Dillon Field in Belton.
