CLEVELAND, Miss. – In a day that took two days to finish, McMurry University Softball ended its season in heartbreaking fashion Friday with a narrow 3-2 loss to nationally-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor in the 2022 American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament in Cleveland, Miss.

Though the immediate sting of elimination resonates more now, the War Hawks have much to celebrate this season after setting a new school record for wins. McMurry finishes with a 21-18 overall record – the first 20-plus win season – while finishing 15-6 in home games.

The ninth-ranked Cru (32-9) moves on to the double-elimination round as one of the final four teams remaining.

After the game was suspended in the fourth inning Thursday due to inclement weather, play resumed at 10 a.m. Friday morning. The game was tied 2-2 at that point. UMHB scored the winning run in the fifth inning on an RBI single.

McMurry reached the tying run in scoring position in the final inning, as Angelica Abila walked on and stole second, but a flyout and groundout ended the game and McMurry's memorable season.

Kinleigh Stotts pitched 3.1 innings Thursday before the stoppage, allowing just two runs on five hits before the extreme wind picked up. Jenna Lewis subbed in to start Friday's game in the bottom of the fourth, giving up just one run and four hits.

After McMurry struck for two quick runs in the first frame – before any outs were recorded – UMHB turned to ace Bayleigh Grogan who tossed a seven-inning shutout with four hits allowed.

In the first inning Thursday, Emily Michki and Jessika Truax tallied back-to-back RBI singles to bring home Abila and Grace Duecker, respectively. Kelsey Ahart joined Abila with two-hit days, while Duecker, Michki and Truax accounted for the others.

Despite today's loss, McMurry advanced past the first round with its first-ever tournament win.

All-Tournament selections will be announced after the tournament Sunday.