Photo of UMHB pitcher Eileigh Whyte by Luke Zayas/True To The Cru
BELTON–For the first time this season, UMHB softball has a series sweep on its resume, as the momentum seems to be turning in The Cru’s favor.
After dropping three straight at ETBU a week ago, UMHB (11-11, 5-7 ASC) completed a sweep of its own on Friday afternoon, taking down LeTourneau (12-11, 5-4 ASC) in a 2-0 victory at Dee Dillon Field. It came on the heels of Thursday’s two wins for the Crusaders, as Eileigh Whyte gave up just one hit over seven innings in the circle, and Madeline Stephenson came through with a timely RBI double in the third inning.
Whyte was on-point in her second start of the series, and carried a no-hitter through 6.1 innings, marking the first time this season that the Hill College transfer surrendered just one hit in an outing that spanned beyond one inning.
LeTourneau tallied just three total runs in Thursday’s doubleheader, and against Whyte on Friday, the Yellowjackets battled both high-level pitching and significant winds. That challenged the LETU batters, who reached base just twice in the shutout. Neither advanced past first base as Whyte struck out four, bringing her strikeout total to nine in the series.
The wind at Dee Dillon Field made it difficult on UMHB’s hitters as well, with The Cru held at two runs for the first time this season at home. But in the third inning, Stephenson, who was 4-for-6 in the first two wins over LETU, sensed an opportunity.
Taylor Henken reached base on LETU’s lone error of the day to lead off the inning, and Lindsey Polleschultz immediately followed with a single. Bailey Frenzel executed a perfect sacrifice bunt in the next at-bat, advancing both runners into scoring position. But it seemed that the Yellowjackets might escape with yet another scoreless frame when Bryton Wright lined out to shortstop for the inning’s second out.
Stephenson, however, lined a 2-2 pitch just inside the left field line, and scored both Henken and Polleschultz for a two-run lead, continuing a memorable series at the plate for the second baseman. It marked Stephenson’s fifth double of the season as she went 2-for-3 and raised her batting average to .375, which ranks second on the team.
Postgame thoughts from Head Coach Melissa Mojica
On the confidence that comes from a series sweep: “It’s big for us, because we just needed to know that, ‘Hey, we can win and we can keep winning.’ It’s not just a fluke thing. We really are winners and we’re going to continue to move forward with this.”
On Whyte’s pitching performance: “Eileigh is a competitor. She’s going to do what it takes to compete. We’ve kind of narrowed it down to her best pitches and have been working and focusing on those. She feels a little more confidence too, with some kids behind her who are able to come in. And our offense is contributing, so there’s a lot of things that can happen in the circle when she has people that are going to go up to bat for her.”
Game Notes
- Friday’s victory was UMHB’s second shutout of the 2024 season, with the first having come in a non-conference matchup at Trinity (TX) on March 12.
- Whyte was The Cru’s starting pitcher in both shutouts and in both instances, tossed a complete game.
- Whyte lowered her ERA to 2.51 and has allowed just one earned run in her last 12.2 innings.
- UMHB tallied five doubles in the series, with two apiece in each of the first two games along with Stephenson’s extra-base hit in the series finale.
- The Crusaders have recorded exactly five doubles in each of their last three ASC series.
- Bailey Frenzel went 1-for-2 at the plate and has now reached base in 14 straight games.
- UMHB head coach Melissa Mojica won her 70th conference game at the helm of the program on Friday. She is now 70-25 in ASC games as The Cru’s head coach.
Up Next
UMHB now looks ahead to an ASC road series at Hardin-Simmons next Friday and Saturday. The Cowgirls are 19-3 overall and 8-1 in league play.
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