ABILENE, Texas - The Howard Payne University softball team split a double-header at McMurry University 3-8 and 6-5 (12 innings) Saturday afternoon finishing out the 2023 regular season.

Game One
With the Lady Jackets leading 3-0 going into the bottom of the fourth, McMurry scored eight unanswered runs. That combined with four HPU fielding errors led to the 8-3 McMurry final. 

Maddison Cason led HPU going 2-for-4 at the plate with a double. 

Sydney West recorded the loss in the start for the Lady Jackets allowing five runs on five hits in five innings of work. Heather Wineman threw the final  frame allowing three runs on two hits.

Game Two
The Lady Jackets scored two runs in the top of the 12th inning to win a 6-5 thriller over the War Hawks. 

With the game tied at 2-2 after seven innings, each team scored singles runs in the 10th and 11th innings. But it was the two-run top of the 12th for the Lady Jackets that put HPU over the top, holding on defensively in the bottom of the inning for the 6-5 victory.

Bree Cason (10-10) got the complete game victory with allowing five runs on nine hits winning 8 of her last 10 appearances for the Lady Jackets.

Five HPU players recorded two hits in the game with the Lady Jackets outhitting the War Hawks 13-9 in the game. Tori Muro had the only extra base hit in the game for the Lady Jackets, a double in the 12th inning to put HPU up 6-5.

The Lady Jackets finish the season at 15-24 overall and 7-20 in American Southwest Conference action.