BROWNWOOD, Texas - A three-run fifth inning gave the LeTourneau University softball team their first lead of the day before ultimately falling to Howard Payne University by a final score of 14-6 at Lady Jacket Field in Brownwood, Texas on Saturday, March 17th. 

The loss leaves LETU with a 7-12 overall record and 5-10 mark in the American Southwest Conference while HPU is now 5-15-2 overall and 2-10 in the ASC. 

It would take until the top of the third for the YellowJackets to record their first hit of the game, as Howard Payne would utilize efficient starting pitching to limit LeTourneau offensively while scoring three runs of their own in the bottom of the first to take an early lead. LETU would get a leadoff single from Kelsi Coleman followed by an Ethel Warren walk to put two runners on with no outs to allow for Jacie Gilbert to lay down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over to second and third. Macey Mize then delivered with a one-out two-RBI double to make the score 3-2 before a ground out and pop out ended the inning for LeTourneau.

The score would remain 3-2 in favor of Howard Payne until the top of the fifth when LETU would score three runs on three hits and one walk, which would allow for the YellowJackets to claim a 5-3 lead after trailing the entire way up to that point. LeTourneau's lead would be short lived however as Howard Payne responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth, scoring two runs on RBI singles with another run added on an RBI groundout. 

A rain delay ensued following the fifth inning, leading both teams to have to sit and wait out a quick moving weather system before resuming play after the hour-plus long delay. The delay wouldn't effect the LeTourneau offense, scoring the game-tying run with two outs in the sixth after Warren would draw her third walk of the game and steal second. A bad throw down to second on the stolen base by Warren allowed the freshman to come around and score, giving LETU new life once again. 

Howard Payne wasted no time reclaiming the lead in the bottom of the sixth, using two walks and a one-out double to score two runs and take an 8-6 lead before scoring another run on another RBI double. The lead would grow to 10-6 on an RBI single as things would come unglued for LeTourneau with HPU scoring eight runs to end the game. 

Mize led the YellowJackets with two hits in the game to go along with one RBI while Ashlin Roach had two RBI's in a one-for-three performance at the plate. LeTourneau would also draw five walks to go along with two extra-base hits in the game. Ashley Burdine fell to 3-4 overall in the loss, throwing 4.2 innings and striking out two batters while Faith Genoway (0.2 innings) and Julie Martinez (0.1 innings) also appeared in the game. 

After playing a total of 11 games in eight days, LETU will now take a week to prepare for the Highway 80 rivalry when East Texas Baptist comes to town for an ASC series beginning on Friday, March 23rd at 5 p.m.