ABILENE, Texas - The Howard Payne University softball team split the first day of a three game series vs. Hardin-Simmons University on Friday afternoon. The Lady Jackets picked up the first game 4-0 and fought tough in the second before ultimately falling 14-9.

Game One:

Kendra Evans pitched six innings of solid softball, surrendering just two hits while striking out two batters and Haley Slater went 3-4 from the plate with a home run and two singles to help give HPU the 4-0 victory in seven full innings of play.

Slaters home run led off the second inning for the Lady Jackets and got the scoring started in the contest. Both sides would exchange two scoreless innings before the Lady Jackets reeled off three runs in the top of the fifth to propel them to the 4-0 victory in seven innings.

Katelyn Dickerson, back in the lineup after a lingering injury, made her return to the Howard Payne lineup and proceeded to belt the double that put her team over the edge and help seal the win. After her solo shot to centerfield, Kayla Boucher brought Dickerson around with a single to centerfield to make it 2-0 with one out.

Shawneece Jones went on to work the count and take a walk to put runners back into scoring position for Haley Slater. Slater stepped up to the plate and delivered another bomb. This time to left field and the Lady Jacket would load the bases for freshmen Bri Davis after a Gabrielle Roque walk.

Davis drew a walk to bring in the fourth run and give Kendra Evans a little more cushion in the circle. After pitching the Sixth, Evans would hand the ball off to Tia Campos and help seal the 4-0 victory.

Katelyn Dickerson finished 2-4 from the plate with one run scored, a double and a single while Bri Davis, Kayla Boucher, Gabrielle Roque and Slater each had one RBI in the contest.

Game Two:

Hardin-Simmons jumped out to an early 8-1 lead after two innings and weathered several Howard Payne scoring rallies before picking up the 14-9 victory in the top of the seventh. The Lady Jackets were able to score nine runs on 12 hits but committed four errors in the field and were held scoreless down the stretch.

Junior Shawneece Jones was a perfect 4-4 in the batter's box with two doubles, a RBI, walk and two runs scored in the loss. Kayla Boucher added one RBI and a double on 2-3 hitting and Freshmen Tia Campos scored two runs on 1-2 hitting.

Jones led off the game with a double to right center and Katelyn Dickerson would score her after a Tonya Thompson sacrifice bunt put Howard Payne in scoring position. 

But the Cowgirls went into small ball mode and answered right back after three Lady Jacket fielding errors resulted in a four-run first inning for Hardin-Simmons. After one inning of play, HPU trailed 4-1.

They were held scoreless in the second inning while the Cowgirls went on to plate four more runs and pace out to an 8-1 lead before the Lady Jackets mounted a comeback.

In the top of the third inning, the Lady Jacket put runners in position for Haley Slater who responded by singling to score Boucher and Dickerson after both led off the inning with a walk and single respectively. Howard Payne would cut into the deficit, 8-3.

A two-run bottom of the inning stretched the Cowgirls lead back to 10-3 before another Lady Jacket scoring rally would take place in the fourth. It started with Tonya Thompson's single to centerfield, which scored Tia Campos and set Katelyn Dickerson up for a fielders choice RBI.

Junior Morgean Schultz then blaster the first home run of her Howard Payne career, an impressive two-out blast to left center that scored Thompson and cut into the Cowgirls' lead, 10-7.

The Lady Jackets kept their rally going despite surrendering one run in the bottom of the fourth. Gabrielle Roque took a walk and Tia Campos singled to put Howard Payne in position for Shawneece Jones. Jones' single to centerfield scored Roque and Campos would later come around the bases on a throwing error to make it 11-9 after 5.5 innings.

But the Cowgirls pitching staff settled in and held the Lady Jackets' bats silent for the final two innings of play to pick up the 14-9 victory after 7 innings.

Howard Payne will return to action tomorrow to wrap up the three-game set. The final game of the series will start at 12:00 PM and links to live stats will be made available through HPUSports.com.