MARSHALL, Texas – Playing for post season seedings in the American Southwest Conference Tournament, the East Texas Baptist University softball team came away with a split against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. ETBU won game one, 2-0, but then fell in game two, 11-4. ETBU still maintains a one game lead for second place in the ASC over UMHB at 23-6 in the ASC and is 30-9 overall.
 
Game one was a tightly-fought 2-0 victory as ETBU would get their two runs from Jackie Ramos. Ramos had one of the four hits in the game along with Grace Camacho, Hailley Falloon, and McKayla Hendrix. Jordan Anderson would get the win with a complete game shutout in which she allowed just two hits while striking out five. Hannah Halepaska took the loss for UMHB despite pitching six innings while Kasi Cummings and Dusti Douglas picked up a hit.
 
Game two saw UMHB come back for an 11-4 win over ETBU. Chelsea Ham earned three RBI and two hits, but also took the loss in the circle. Jeannette Galvan was a perfect three-for-three from the plate while Camacho added an RBI on a home run. Halepaska bounced back to take the win for UMHB with 3.2 innings allowing one run on five hits. Devon Walter (three RBI) and Cummings (two RBI) each had three hits in the win.
 
Game 1: ETBU 2, UMHB 0
Both pitchers would start the game throwing two scoreless innings with Jordan Anderson retiring the first eight hitters in a row before surrendering a UMHB hit. ETBU would have a string of defensive plays including one where the ball deflected off the glove of Camacho and into the glove of a diving MacKenzie Anderson (SportsCenter Top 10 play of the night). ETBU would put together a threat in the fourth inning with a one-out double by Camacho. But she was left stranded at the end of the inning.
 
It wouldn't be until the bottom of the fifth inning when ETBU would get the first runs of the game on a two-run hit from Ramos to lead 2-0 after five. This would be all the runs Jordan Anderson would need as she would go on a run of retiring 13 consecutive hitters since giving up her first hit. UMHB would put a runner on in the top of the seventh inning but Jordan Anderson struck out the last hitter to preserve the win and any threat of tying the game.
 
Game 2: UMHB 11, ETBU 4
After pitching a scoreless top of the first inning, Ham delivered a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to put the Tigers ahead 3-0. UMHB though would get their first runs on the day with an RBI sacrifice bunt and a single to cut the lead to 3-2 in the second inning. They would end up taking a 4-3 lead on a two-run homer in the top of the third inning. ETBU loaded the bases in the bottom of the third inning. But they were unable to get in the tying run.
 
Both teams would score a run in the fourth inning, which included a solo homer from Camacho to cut the lead 5-4. UMHB would tack on four insurance runs to go up 9-4 in the top of the fifth inning. ETBU would hold UMHB scoreless in the sixth to end a string of four straight innings where the Crusaders scored a run. But UMHB would get two more runs in the seventh inning as they would make it 11-4.
 
ETBU's final regular season game starts tomorrow at 12:00 PM. It will also be Senior Day as ETBU will be honoring six seniors.