COMMERCE, Texas – The Cameron softball team survived two elimination games on Friday to advance to the NCAA Division II South Central Regional finals for the second straight season, beating both Dixie State and No. 19 Tarleton.

In their first elimination game, the Aggies scored their first run of the regional as a pair of hits from freshmen Khmari Edwards and Breley Webb combined to put a tally on the scoreboard for CU in the first inning.

Dixie State scored three straight runs to take a 3-1 lead through two innings, chasing Webb out of the circle and bringing Rylee Willmon in to relieve her.
A pair of RBI singles from Edwards and Callie Busby in the third evened the game up at three runs apiece.

Cameron added two more in the top of the fifth as Webb scored on a sacrifice fly by Kylie French and then a double steal brought C. Busby home while Abbey Warren took second, putting CU up 5-3.

In the bottom of the seventh, CU made their fans watching anxious by allowing the Trailblazers to score and cut the lead to just one run, but Bethany Hines got out of trouble to record her sixth save of the season and keep her team's season alive.

Edwards, Webb, C. Busby, and Hines all had a pair of hits for the Aggies, while Edwards scored two of their five runs in the contest.

Willmon pitched a solid 4.2 innings of relief, giving up just one unearned run on three hits, while Hines recorded the final two outs and gave up just one hit.

Cameron then had to face a familiar foe in Tarleton in the second win-or-go-home game of the day. This would be the sixth matchup between the two teams this year.

Unlike the last two meetings, the Aggies took an early lead with four runs in the opening frame. Three quick TexAnn errors led to the first two runs of the game as Edwards and Webb came in to score. A double to right center by Raley Long brought home French and Abbey Warren to give CU their 4-0 advantage.

After TSU got one back in the second, it looked like Cameron was going to break things open with a three spot in the top of the fourth. Hines led things off with an RBI single to center field and then a pair of RBI groundouts from Kaylyn Smith and Brenna Busby brought home two more to extend CU's lead to 7-1.

However, Tarleton responded with a run in the fourth and three more in the fifth capped by a Destiney Crumpley two-run homer to cut the defecit to two.

Aggie head coach Dennis Furr brought in Willmon to close things out, and despite allowing two runners on in both the sixth and seventh innings, the senior did her job and secured the 7-5 victory.

Hines notched her 15th win of the year, giving up five runs on seven hits and one walk in five innings in the circle. Willmon gave up three hits and walked one while recording her second save of the year.

At the plate, Long provided a pair of hits and two RBI, while the other five hits and three RBI were spread throughout the CU lineup. 

Not only did CU's win over TSU clinch a spot in the regional final, but it was also Furr's 100th win in his three seasons at the helm of the Aggies.

Cameron will face off against No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday to see who will walk away with the South Central Regional title. CU will have to beat the Lions twice to close out the double-elimination tournament, as game one is scheduled for 12 p.m. and the if-game will follow.