BELTON (February 21, 2009) - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team took early leads in both games and held on for a doubleheader sweep of Southwestern University in the Cru’s 2009 season opener. UMHB won game one 3-2 and took game two by a 5-1 score to move to 2-0 on the season. Southwestern drops to 3-3 on the season with the two losses.

The Cru took an early lead and then held the Pirates comeback attempt in a 3-2 game one victory. Courtney Johnston blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to make it 2-0 UMHB. The Cru added a run on Megan Bohne’s RBI single in the bottom of the third inning to take a 3-0 lead. The Pirates would cut the lead to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning. Quincy Meeker’s RBI groundout drove in the first run and Kenna Dies added an RBI single. Mandy Staton then sandwiched a strikeout and pop-out around a walk to get out of a bases-loaded jam to end the inning. UMHB then set Southwestern down in order in the top of the seventh for the victory. Kelsey Greeson picked up the win to move to 1-0 for the Cru. Greeson scattered three hits in five innings and did not give up a run. She struck out six and walked four. Lyndsy Maus took the loss for Southwestern to drop to 2-1 on the year.

UMHB put three runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning in game two and the Cru rolled to a 5-1 victory. Megan Bohne singled home the first two runs and Jordan Schrutka added an RBI single to make it 3-0. Southwestern cut the lead to 3-1 on Dies’ bases-loaded walk in the top of the fourth, but UMHB answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Sara Roman singled home both runs to make it a 5-1 lead. Staton threw five innings of five-hit ball to get the win. Staton struck out six and walked three. Erica Salazar had three hits for UMHB and Caitlin Wells added two hits. Kaitlyn Pavlicek had three hits for Southwestern and also pitched five innings to take the loss for the Pirates.

The Cru will return to action with four games at the LeTourneau University next weekend. UMHB will open the weekend with games against Nebraska Wesleyan and U.T-Tyler next Friday in Longview.