BELTON (April 9, 2009)--The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor softball team used late rallies to end both games on the run rule as the Cru swept a doubleheader from Sul Ross State University Thursday afternoon in Belton. UMHB won game one 9-1 and took game two by a 10-2 score. The Cru improves to 13-15 overall and 6-6 in American Southwest Conference play with the two victories. The losses drop the Lobos to 1-33 overall and 0-20 in the ASC on the season.

UMHB scored three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to close out a 9-1 game one victory. Kelsey Greeson’s two-run single gave UMHB a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Courtney Johnston added an RBI double to make it 3-0 Cru in the fourth and UMHB added a three-spot in the fifth inning. The first run in the fifth scored on a wild pitch, Eric Jackson stole home for the second run and Karen Fertitta singled home the third to make it 6-0 Cru. The Lobos cut it to 6-1 on a run-scoring wild pitch in the top of the sixth, but UMHB added three more in the bottom of the inning for the victory. Delani Hurst hit a sacrifice fly for the first run and Jackson tripled off the right-field wall to drive in the final two runs and end the game. Greeson scattered two hits and struck out four to raise her record to 6-8 for the Cru. Candice Johnson took the loss for Sul Ross to fall to 0-11 on the year. Johnston had two of UMHB’s seven hits in the victory.

UMHB’s five-run sixth inning put game two away in a 10-2 Cru victory. Johnston and Caitlin Wells singled home runs in the bottom of the second to give UMHB a 2-0 lead. The Lobos cut it to 2-1 on a run-scoring error in the top of the fourth. Johnston added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth to give the Cru a 3-1 edge. Sul Ross would add another run on Vanessa Pena’s RBI double in the fifth to cut it to 3-2. UMHB would stretch it to 5-2 on Hurst’s RBI single and Sabrina Garcia’s solo home run in the bottom of the fifth. The Cru then added five runs in the sixth to end it. Fertitta singled home the first two runs, Hurst and Erica Salazar followed with RBI singles and the final run scored on a wild pitch. Wells was 4-4 for UMHB and Fertitta, Hurst and Salazar all had two hits apiece for the Cru. Candice Johnson had two of the Lobo’s five hits. Mandy Staton took a five-hitter and struck out five to improve to 6-6 for the Cru. Johnson took the loss for Sul Ross to fall to 0-12 on the season.

UMHB will now return to action with a pair of crucial ASC West Division series next week. The Cru will play a four-game series at Concordia Texas next Tuesday and Wednesday in Austin. UMHB will then close out the week with a four-game series at Texas Lutheran University next Friday and Saturday in Seguin.