Contributed by Chad Grubbs, HSU Director of Athletic Communications
ABILENE, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' softball team lost a doubleheader to No. 14 East Texas Baptist, 9-3 and 5-1 on Friday afternoon at Ellis Field.
The Cowgirls recognized its five seniors in a ceremony after the doubleheader. Sydnie Darden, Kara LeLeux, Jennifer Miller, Tori Rodriguez and Sarah Truelove are playing their final series at HSU.
Game 1
ETBU jumped to a 6-0 lead after the top of the fourth before the Cowgirls chipped away. All six of the runs reached base on either a walk or hit by pitch. Jayme Perez had a sacrifice fly in the first inning, another run scored on an error. In the second inning, Perez had a two-run double.
Kara LeLeux had an RBI double in the fourth and then hit her fifth home run of the season in the sixth. Christa Garcia cut it to 6-3 with an RBI groundout in the sixth. ETBU added two more runs in the seventh.
Raquel Tello started and went five and one-third innings, before leaving with a 6-2 lead in the sixth. She improved to 17-2 on the year. Rodriguez went the distance for the Cowgirls and allowed seven hits, seven walks, and seven earned runs to fall to 9-11 on the year.
LeLeux had two hits and drove in a run for the Cowgirls. Shelby Irlbeck had three hits for ETBU and Oerez drove in three runs.
Game 2
The Tigers scored a run in the first inning on a Lacey Lindsey RBI single. HSU tied the game in the bottom of the second on a KeAmbria Hunter RBI single up the middle.
Perez had a two-run double in the third and Kaitlyn Hollingshead had an RBI single to make it 5-1 in the third.
Genia Jones went the distance for the Cowgirls and allowed just four earned runs on 10 hits to fall to 1-3. McLendon went the distance as well scattering four hits and one run to improve to 11-5.
Four different Cowgirls had hits and Katy Hill and Lindsey had two hits each for ETBU.
HSU is now 15-21 on the year and 11-18 in ASC play. ETBU improved to 31-7 overall and 24-4 in conference play. The teams will close the series with an 11 a.m. game on Saturday.
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