BENTONVILLE, Ark. – The Harding softball team split two games on the second day of the Division II Arkansas-Monticello Softball Classic on Saturday. The Lady Bisons defeated Nebraska-Kearney 15-2 in game one and fell to William Jewell 5-4 in eight innings. Harding moves to 3-7 on the season. The games scheduled for Sunday have been canceled due to incoming weather.
GAME ONE
Harding posted 16 hits as they defeated Nebraska-Kearney 15-2 in five innings.
The Lady Bisons got things started in the first inning when they scored four runs on four hits. Carolyn Clayton and Mackenzie Jones both knocked in a run and KImmy Hendricks scored two on a base hit down the right field line.
Harding tacked on three more in the second inning. Clayton forced a walk that walked in a run and Mackenzie Jones singled up the middle to score two runs.
The Lady Bisons scored four more in the third inning. Courtney Derrick doubled to center field that drove in Brookelynn Moon. Marley Edwards singled in the second run. Hendricks then hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored the third run and Emily Jones due the walk with bases loaded for the fourth run.
Nebraska-Kearney (0-4) got a run back in the third when Makenzi Dallas homered to center field.
Harding went scoreless in the fourth inning before knocking in four more in the fifth. Anna Lowery hit her first collegiate solo homerun to start things off for the Lady Bisons. Chandler Little singled in two more runs and Madison Wickline singled in Little.
Dallas picked up her second RBI for Nebraska-Kearney in the fifth when she knocked in Kaela Samek.
Amber Rollins got the win for Harding to move her record to 2-2 on the season. She pitched all five innings and struck out three. Morgan Karlberg got the loss in only 1 1-3 innings pitched.
The Lady Bisons' 16 hits is the second most this season. Harding had 18 in the second game of the doubleheader against Christian Brothers on Jan. 31st.
GAME TWO
Harding's comeback falls short as it falls to William Jewell 5-4 on a homerun in extra innings.
Courtney Derrick tripled down the right field line to start things off for Harding but was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice. Mackenzie Jones hit a single to left center to score the Lady Bisons first run of the game.
Madi Giles hit a grand slam to left center field to give William Jewell (3-1) the 4-1 lead in the second inning.
After four scoreless innings, Harding was down to its last three outs in the top of the seventh inning. With runners at first and second with one out, Carolyn Clayton hit her second homerun of the season to tie the game at four.
Harding held the Cardinals scoreless in the seventh to force extra innings.
The Lady Bisons couldn't produce a run in the top of the eighth inning as they left a runner stranded.
With one out in the bottom of the inning, Brooke Bernard hit a solo homerun to center field to give William Jewell the win.
Shelby McGraw got the win for the Cardinals, pitching 1 2-3 innings. Danielle Hubbard got the loss for Harding, pitching six innings and struck out four.
Harding will open Great American Conference action next weekend when they travel to Bethany, Oklahoma to take on Southern Nazarene. First pitch on Friday is at 1 p.m.
