BELTON – In the bottom of the 6th inning on Thursday night, Lindsey Polleschultz made a break for second base. With two outs, and The Cru leading Carnegie Mellon 5-0, the senior shortstop safely reached the bag, putting herself in scoring position for the third time in the contest, adding to an already-impressive 3-for-4 day at the plate.
It was also the stolen base that put the senior into the record books, as Polleschultz surpassed Megan Foster’s 61 career stolen bases, a mark set in 2003. The native of Cypress, Texas, became UMHB’s all-time leader in career stolen bases, with 64 in 132 games over four seasons.
Polleschultz followed up her record-breaking steal in Game 1 with a pair of stolen bases in the nightcap, as UMHB took down Carnegie Mellon, 10-5. Polleschultz now has 13 stolen bases this season, which ranks in the Top 10 amongst Division III players nationally.
As a team, UMHB’s afternoon at Dee Dillon Field turned out just as good, sweeping a doubleheader for the second day in a row after taking down York College in a twinbill on Wednesday. The Crusaders are 10-2 overall, off to their best start through the season’s first 12 games since the 2020 campaign. UMHB ended up going 12-3 before the season was cut short due to Covid.
The Cru also improved to 7-0 at home, the longest winning streak at home to open a season in the last 26 years, dating back UMHB’s first year of full Division III membership. UMHB’s last six games have been played in Belton, contributing heavily to The Cru’s current seven-game overall win streak, which began with a 6-2 win over Southwestern in Georgetown on Feb. 26.
Game 1
The shutout, UMHB’s fourth of the season, was led by starting pitcher Ella Gamblin. Gamblin tossed a complete seven-inning performance in the circle, improving to 2-0 this season, as she allowed seven hits but did not walk a batter. CMU had just three runners advance into scoring position in the contest, in large part due to the play of the Crusader infield.
The Cru consistently recorded force outs at second base, starting with a third-inning fielder’s choice after A Rome singled to begin the inning. They came up with another fielder’s choice in the fourth, nabbing the lead runner, and did the same in the sixth one at-bat after Kiera Boucher reached base on a bunt. And in terms of highlight-reel worthy defensive plays, Taylor Henken’s double play in the sixth with runners on second and third made all the difference in the shutout.
With one out, Abbey Reese lofted a fly ball to center field, and Henken tracked it down, making the out before firing a throw home to catcher Tori Skinner. As that unfolded, Koko Sagae attempted to tag and score from third, but the throw was on-point, and Skinner placed the tag. It completed a momentum-gaining double play, ending the inning as UMHB escaped after facing a one-out, two-on situation. It proved to be CMU’s best chance at pushing a run across, as a 6-4-3 double play and a fly out sealed the win in the seventh.
Polleschultz’s three-hit performance led The Cru, but Bryton Wright contributed in a big way at the plate as well, going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Her first-inning single scored Shorey Nguyen for a 2-0 lead, and she provided UMHB’s final insurance run in the fifth, with a hard-hit single to center field that brought Ava Jolley home from second.
Game 2
In a much higher-scoring duel, Polleschultz again delivered from her spot at the top of the order. UMHB’s leadoff hitter went 7-for-9 at the plate in the doubleheader, including a 4-for-5 performance in the second game. She scored twice and tallied a sixth-inning RBI single that extended the advantage to 10-3. It marked the first time UMHB’s starting shortstop has recorded consecutive multi-hit games this season.
Nguyen also stepped up in UMHB’s 10-run outburst, going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs in the No. 2 spot in the order. Her triple to right center field in the second inning pushed the lead to 5-2, scoring Polleschultz from second, and her base hit with the bases loaded in the fifth extended UMHB’s advantage to five, 8-3.
Wright, Bailey Frenzel, and Vic Shimabukuro joined Polleschultz and Nguyen with multi-hit performances in Game 2, as UMHB finished with a double-digit hit total for the third time this season. The Cru’s 15 hits came from eight different players, though the quintet of Polleschultz, Nguyen, Wright, Frenzel, and Shimabukuro accounted for 80% of that production. It was also the second time this season UMHB scored 10 runs, with the first coming in a 10-3 win over Southwestern in the home opener on Feb. 12.
Up Next
UMHB travels to Richardson, Texas on Friday afternoon for a third doubleheader in three days, this time against UT-Dallas. The Comets are transitioning to Division II, but playing a schedule this spring that includes all five ASC programs. UTD is 4-2 overall, and has not played since Feb. 23. First pitch from the UTD Softball Field is set for 4 p.m. CT.
