ABILENE, TEXAS – McMurry University and Howard Payne University gave fans in attendance at Edwards Field their money's worth and more Saturday, May 6.
 
On an afternoon when head coach David McNally's program paid tribute to its four-member Class of 2023 post-game, the two American Southwest Conference sides battled for 19 innings. For a second straight outing against the visiting Yellowjackets, McMurry answered an early deficit in game one with eight runs crossing their final three at-bats to seal an 8-3 victory. Looking to close out a weekend sweep, the Maroon and White were turned aside by a gritty visiting group in the nightcap, falling 6-5 in 12 innings.
 
Sophomore and senior pitchers Baylee Fulps (San Angelo, Texas) and Kinleigh Stotts (Covington, Texas) kept a stretch of complete-game efforts intact for the home team, notching the eighth and ninth such efforts in a row. Fulps surrendered only one earned run in the opener. At the same time, Stotts made her final home start a memorable one, battling the West Texas heat and humidity to the tune of four strikeouts and 159 pitches, to the delight of the partisan McMurry crowd.
 
On the offensive side of the equation, fellow senior Jesse Stephenson (Marble Falls, Texas) went two for three with two runs scored, and freshman infielder Bre Barajas (Abilene, Texas) tallied two hits in game one. Junior outfielder Angelica Abila (Lubbock, Texas) went three-for-six with a double, a run scored, and two RBI, and junior catcher Kate Casey (Thorndale, Texas) smashed an RBI triple in game two.
 
McMurry (24-14 overall, 16-11 ASC) opens its third straight league tournament appearance Thursday, May 11, facing off against crosstown rival Hardin-Simmons. First pitch in the four-five seed contest is set for 12:30 p.m. at Belton, Texas, with the University of Mary-Hardin-Baylor as the host.