ABILENE, Texas - Southwestern scored 16 runs in two games but still dropped both contests to Hardin-Simmons on Thursday.
Game one opened with HSU taking a quick 10-1 lead through the first four innings as the Cowgirls scored two runs in the first and eight in the fourth. SU responded with a seven run fifth to cut HSU's lead to two, but the Cowgirls added one in the bottom half that proved to be the difference maker.
The Pirates scored one in the sixth and one in the seventh but left two on base when the final out was made to give SU the loss. Karen Ramirez led at the plate going 3-4 for one run scored and one RBI while Stacy Rosengren and Tessa Galloway had two hits each. Nicole Gibbs garnered her second loss in game one, allowing six runs, on six hits, four earned, on one walk while striking out two.
Hardin-Simmons jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead at the start of game two, but Southwestern evened the count in the third 2-2. After the Pirates posted two in the fifth, HSU came back with a vengance and posted six runs to lead 8-4 through five.
Southwestern cut into the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth, but HSU once again came back and posted one run in response. After a scoreless seventh by Southwestern the game came to a close, handing SU the 9-6 loss.
Galloway and Christina Crandall led with two hits each at the plate while defensively Gibbs garnered the loss.
Southwestern falls to 1-3 on the year with the pair of losses. They return home to face George Fox University on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.