ALPINE, Texas - The Howard Payne softball team used extra innings and a run rule to down Sul Ross State 7-6 and 8-0 in conference action Saturday evening.

The games were delayed for five hours because of field conditions. Howard Payne edged Sul Ross in the opener, 7-6 in eight innings on a solo homer in the top of the eighth by second baseman Erin McLeod, and took the nightcap, 8-0 in five innings, in a game shortened because of the eight-run rule.

In the opener, the lady Jackets took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an infield grounder by McLeod and an RBI double by third baseman Cherita George. SRSU got a pair of unearned runs in the fifth to cut it to 4-3.

Gaby Muniz tripled home a run for HPU in the sixth, and the Lobos scored on an error to make it 5-4. Howard Payne picked up an unearned run in the seventh to make it 6-4. Sul Ross State came back and tied the score on RBI singles.

Celese Tirres went all the way for the Lady Jackets and earned the win, improving to 6-13 on the season. Gaby Muniz was 4-for-5 from the plate and Amanda Cruddas was 2-for-5 for HPU. McLeod's homerun was her fourth of the year.

In the nightcap, three Lobo errors produced three first-inning runs for HPU, and McLeod had a second-inning RBI single increasing the Lady Jacket lead to 5-0. In the fourth, Allison Eaton doubled to score Kennedy Coffin then Amanda Cruddas doubled ,to bring home McLeod and Eaton.

Taylor Rushing was the winning pitcher allowing just four hits and improving to 4-7 on the year. Allison Eaton finished 2-for-3 from the plate and scored three times.

Howard Payne is now 10-21 overall and 6-17 in American Southwest Conference action.,Sul Ross stands at 3-23 overall and 3-19 in ASC play. The Lady Jackets will play next weekend at home versus Hardin-Simmons University.