SHERMAN, Texas – The Howard Payne University softball team split its doubleheader with Austin College on Saturday, winning 9-6 in extra innings in game one before losing 8-6 in game two.

Howard Payne scored two runs in the top of the second, but Austin College scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth to grab a 5-2 lead.

Austin College then extended their lead to 6-2, and that remained the score until the top of the seventh when Howard Payne came storming back to tie things at 6-6 and force extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth the Lady Jackets jumped on top 9-6 on a three run homer by Ashley Silva and AC was unable to answer in the bottom half of the inning.

Ashley Silva finished the game 2-for-5 with three runs batted in and two runs scored to lead Howard Payne and Kayla Castillo earned the win after pitching two scoreless innings in relief.
In game two the Jackets quickly took the lead in the top of the first when Silva hit her second homer of the day, this time a two run shot to make it 2-0. AC singled in a run in the bottom half of the inning to cut it to a 2-1 game, and AC tied things up in the second on a RBI single.

AC grabbed a 5-2 lead in the fourth after an RBI double and a two run homerun, and the AC lead grew to 8-2 in the fifth on two RBI hits. After HPU got one run back in the top of the sixth, the Jackets took advantage of an Austin College fielding error to plate six runs but AC would hold on for the win.

Ashley Silva again led Howard Payne at the plate, this time going 4-for-4 a homer, a double and five runs batted in.

Howard Payne stands at 2-2 overall and Austin College is now 4-2 on the year. The Lady Jackets play in the LeTourneau Spring Classic Feb. 26-27 in Longview.