JACKSON, Mississippi- The Howard Payne University softball team split their doubleheader against the number eleventh ranked Belhaven University 1-2 and 5-3 Friday afternoon. 

Game One
Belhaven got on the board first, scoring one run in the bottom of the fifth. Howard Payne evened things up in the top of the sixth, scoring on an Alexis Sullivan single.

The Blazers scored a single run homerun in the bottom of the sixth, and the Lady Jackets were unable to answer, dropping the first game of the series 2-1.

Kiley Persons, Alexis Sullivan, and Tori Muro had one hit each for the Lady Jackets. 

Tia Campos (4-3) recorded the loss. Campos pitched all six innings and allowed three runs on four hits.

Game Two
The Lady Jackets got off to a hot start scoring one run in the first inning and a one run in the second inning to take the early 2-0 lead over the Blazers.

Belhaven scored two runs in the third inning to tie the game. Alexis Sullivan hit a home run in the fifth inning to give HPU the 3-2 lead. The Lady Jackets went onto score one more run in the fifth inning to go ahead by two.

The Lady Jackets scored one more time in the sixth inning and held off the Blazers to claim the 5-3 victory over the number eleventh-ranked Belhaven.

Alexis Sullivan and Tori Muro both had two hits for HPU.

Hannah Morales (1-0) recorded the win for Howard Payne. Morales pitched 4.0 innings and allowed one run on three hits.

Howard Payne is now 10-5 overall and 4-2 in conference play. Belhaven stands at 14-5 overall and 6-2 in the conference. Both teams will finish out their weekend series with a single game on Saturday at 11:00 am