BELTON, Texas: The Southwestern University softball team fell 2-1 to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) Crusaders in their first road game loss Wednesday evening on Dee Dillon Field.

Southwestern took advantage of the first inning when Maddie Mefford singled up the middle, earning an RBI with Tori Montemayor to score the first run. The Pirates held the Cru for the next few innings until the bottom of the fourth inning when a UMHB hitter doubled to right field to score a run, making the game 1-1. The Pirates quickly grabbed the next two outs to move into the top of the fifth inning to try to gain back the lead. However, the next three Pirate batters were forced out and in the bottom of the fifth the CRU scored to take the lead. The Pirates tried to make their way back into the game, but UMHB held Southwestern until the seventh inning ending the game 2-1.

The Pirates are now 4-4 in the season and 3-0 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.

Up next, Southwestern softball will travel to Seguin to play the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs in a three-game series on Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 13.