Photo of Ava Perlinger courtesy of UMHB Athletics
BELTON — The bats got hot starting with Shorey Nguyen’s double in the first inning of Game 1 in Monday’s home opener. And they never really cooled off until Madelyn Denn’s RBI double gave UMHB Softball a run-rule victory in Game 2.
In between, The Cru put 21 runs on the board, tallied 23 hits, and lit up the scoreboard playing in the friendly confines of Dee Dillon Field for the first time this season, sweeping Hanover by scores of 12-4 and 9-0. UMHB (4-4) has now won its home opener in eight straight seasons, a streak that traces back to a 9-1 win over Southwestern on Feb. 13, 2018.
After splitting each of its last two doubleheaders at Schreiner and Southwestern, The Cru notched a sweep for the first time in 2026 by overpowering the Panthers in all three phases, from Addy Todd’s 7 RBIs to Ella Gamblin’s one-hitter in the nightcap.
UMHB’s 12 RBIs in the Game 1 win were the most in a single game for The Cru since April 29, 2023, and it was Todd and right fielder Ava Perlinger—both true freshmen—who led that effort. The duo combined for 10 RBIs in the opener, as Todd went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run while Perlinger, two spots below Todd in the lineup, went 3-for-4 with a double and a triple. Todd got the scoring going early in the first inning, reaching base on a Hanover error that allowed Nguyen to score from third. It tied the score at 1-1, erasing what turned out to be Hanover’s only lead of the day, and in the third, Perlinger drove a double into the right center field gap. Her first extra-base hit of the contest drove in both Nguyen and Macy Alewine, and after advancing to third on a double from Ava Jolley, Perlinger crossed the plate on Ryleigh Mills’ RBI groundout for a 4-1 lead.
Todd provided the offensive fireworks an inning later, sending a pitch over the outfield fence with two runners in scoring position for a three-run homer that doubled the Crusader lead. Two batters later with Alewine on first, Perlinger tripled to left field, adding to what turned out as a five-run fourth. Fittingly, it was Perlinger who ended the game on a walk-off in the fifth, with a single to center field that scored Todd and Nguyen and gave UMHB the eight-run lead needed for a run-rule.
Game 2 had no shortage of offense either, and once again, Todd and Perlinger highlighted the 9-0 shutout at the plate. Todd’s 2-for-4 performance included a pair of RBIs and Perlinger scored two runs in the leadoff spot, while also driving in a run in the second inning. That came along with Nguyen’s 2-for-3 performance and Denn’s pinch-hit double to score two in the fourth, as seven different Crusaders tallied a hit.
But it was the pitching that really headlined the victory, as Gamblin tossed five near-perfect innings in the circle. The junior, making her first start of the season, allowed just one hit and a total of two baserunners, while blanking the Panthers from start to finish. After giving up a leadoff base hit to Claire King and hitting Ashley Fulton in the first inning, Gamblin settled in, retiring the next 13 batters she faced. She sealed her first win of the season in statement fashion, striking out Lily Cunagin looking for the final out of the fifth. It marked the fifth time since 2024 that a Crusader pitcher allowed just one hit and zero earned runs in an outing of five innings or more.
Crusader Notes
- With her 4-for-7 day at the plate (combining both games), Todd is now hitting for a team-high .524 with 2 HRs. Her home run in the fourth inning of Game 1 made her the third Crusader in the last four seasons to record multiple home runs within the season’s first 8 games, joining Kylie Hoggatt (2025) and Bralyn Belk (2024).
- Perlinger went 4-for-5 in the doubleheader, recording the first multi-hit game of her college career in Game 1.
- UMHB’s 5 doubles in Game 1 went down as the highest single-game total for The Cru since April 29, 2023, and were one shy of tying the mark for the fourth-most in a game in program history.
- The Crusader lineup drew six walks in Game 2, tying last year’s season-high for single-game walks (6 is a season-high for the current season, as well).
- With the 2-0 start at home, UMHB is now 84-21 in home games under head coach Melissa Mojica.
Up Next
UMHB hits the road once again this weekend, set to battle Rhodes and Huntingdon in Memphis, Tennessee on Friday and Saturday. Rhodes is 7-1 overall, and Huntingdon, ranked 16th in the nation (NFCA Preseason Top 25), is off to a 4-1 start this spring. Both Friday and Saturday’s doubleheaders begin at noon.
