MARSHALL, Texas – Returning to action after two weeks of not playing, the #16 East Texas Baptist University softball team swept the American Southwest Conference doubleheader against Howard Payne University. ETBU won game one 14-1 and then shutout the YellowJackets in game two, 10-0. The wins make ETBU 3-0 overall and 2-0 in ASC play.

Game one saw ETBU pick up a 14-1 five-inning victory over HPU as they would score in every inning but the fourth. ETBU was led offensively by Morgan Arst, who had three hits while Sabrina Salts drove in four RBI, including a three-run homer. Arst and Linzie Lewis would score three runs each for ETBU. In the circle, Jordan Anderson received the win with four innings pitched allowing one run on two hits and striking out five batters. Alex Samonski would make a relief appearance of one scoreless inning. Tia Campos was given the loss by going 1.1 IP allowing 10 runs on nine hits while Katelyn Dickerson drove in the only run for HPU.

In game two, ETBU won 10-0 in six innings as Lewis (two RBI) and Jeanette Galvan had two hits while MacKenzie Anderson delivered a walk-off three-run home run for three RBI. Rocki Tello pitched a six inning shutout allowing just three hits and tying a career high with eight strikeouts and finished retiring the last 14 batters. The loss was credited to Kendra Evans, who finished with 4.0 IP allowing five runs on six hits.

Game 1 - ETBU 14, HPU 1

The game started with HPU getting their only run of the game on a double by Dickerson for a 1-0 lead. ETBU answered back with six runs starting with a sacrifice fly by Salts, a bases-clearing double by Daniella Solis, and RBI hits by Madison Prince and Heaven McDonald made it 6-1 after one. One inning later, ETBU struck for three more runs as Lewis reached second on a single and an error that allowed Nikki Gil to score to make it 7-1. Prince then would drive in two more runs with a single for a 9-1 lead.

HPU threatened in the top of the third when they loaded the bases with two outs but Jordan Anderson would get out of the jam with a strikeout. The onslaught continued for ETBU's bats in the bottom of the third as Arst drove in McDonald before Salts would send a three-run homer to left field for a 13-1 lead. Then after MacKenzie Anderson reached on a double, she would score when Prince reached base on an error to make it 14-1. The game remained the same as Jordan Anderson and Samonski teamed up to pick up the win in game one.

Game 2 – ETBU 10, HPU 0

Tello started the game with back-to-back strikeouts before giving up two hits. A fly out to right field ended the frame. In the bottom of the first, Lewis would drive in Arst with a double before she would score as MacKenzie Anderson would reach on an error by the first baseman made it 2-0. HPU threatened in the second inning before Tello picked up two big strikeouts to keep the Yellow Jackets off the board. ETBU then picked up three runs in the bottom half of the inning as Arst reached on an error that scored Jeanette Galvan while Salts would drive in two on a double and ETBU led 5-0.

Tello would then continue to dominate in the circle as she would retire fourteen straight batters through six innings. Meanwhile, ETBU would scratch another run as Galvan would drive in Prince to make it 6-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Finally, in the bottom of the sixth inning, Lewis would hit a single to drive in Gil to make it 7-0. After Salts was hit by a pitch, MacKenzie Anderson ended the contest with a home run to complete the 10-0 victory.

Despite Tello's pitching performance in the second game, she was more proud of her team's ability to come out and set the tone offensively. "I think overall, we did a really good job," said Tello. "We were able to come back and score a lot of runs. It just feel good to be back at Taylor Field to keep doing what I love to do with the people I love. So, it was awesome."

ETBU will look to complete the sweep tomorrow when they host HPU at 2:00 PM at Taylor Field.