Harding (4-10, 1-3 GAC) at East Central (5-9, 2-4 GAC)
Location: Edmond, Oklahoma and Ada, Oklahoma
When: Saturday and Sunday
Time: 12 p.m. DH, 12 p.m. DH
Coaches:
Harding – Phil Berry (36-36, 2nd season)
East Central – Destini Anderson (9th season)
Live Stats/Live Video – Available on a link at HardingSports.com
HARDING
- Harding will continue Great American Conference play this weekend when it travels to Ada, Oklahoma to face East Central in a four-game series. The Lady Bisons will play Saturday's game vs. East Central at the home of Oklahoma Christian in Edmond, Oklahoma. First pitch will be at 2 p.m. Sunday's games will be played at East Central and first pitch is at noon.
- The Lady Bisons had their series against Southeastern Oklahoma canceled last weekend due to weather.
- Harding heads into the series with a 4-10 overall record and a 1-3 GAC record. Harding is coming off a 3-1 series loss at Southern Nazarene two weeks ago. The Lady Bisons won the first game of the series 6-2 but dropped the remaining three games.
- Harding is 1-3 on the road this season.
- The Lady Bisons are led on the season by sophomore Mackenzie Jones who is hitting .372 in 43 at bats. She leads the team in hits with 16 and leads the team in doubles with seven. Jones has also drove in 10 runs for Harding.
- Senior pitcher Amber Rollins boasts a 1.96 ERA in nine appearances. She has recorded 35 strikeouts in 46 1-3 innings pitched.
- Harding ranks ninth in the GAC in batting with a .294 team batting average. The Lady Bisons rank sixth in the GAC in runs scored with 74.
- Harding ranks fourth in the GAC in pitching with a 3.54 team ERA. The Lady Bisons have only give up seven homeruns this season which is the second fewest in the GAC.
- Sophomore Kimmy Hendricks ranks tied for sixth in the GAC in runs scored with 15.
- Harding has stolen 27 bases this season which ranks second in the GAC. Sophomore Courtney Derrick is tied for first in the GAC with nine. Hendricks ranks tied for third with seven and sophomore Brookelynn Moon ranks tied for seventh with five.
- The Lady Bisons have drawn 48 walks this season. It is the fifth most walks drawn this season by a GAC team. Senior Carolyn Clayton ranks third in the GAC with 12 and Hendricks is tied for fourth with 11. Both players have over a .449 on base percentage.
- Harding is averaging 12 runs per game in its four wins this season. In those wins, it also held its opponents to only 3.25 runs per game.
EAST CENTRAL
- East Central heads into the series with a 5-9 overall record and a 2-4 GAC record.
- The Tigers are coming off a GAC series against No. 13 Arkansas Tech last weekend. Due to weather, the teams only got two of their schedule four games in. East Central lost both games, 3-1 and 12-9.
- East Central's only GAC wins this season came at home against Henderson State. The Tigers won the last two games in the series, 1-0 and 2-1. The series against the Lady Reddies was their first home games of the season.
- East Central ranks 11th in the GAC in batting with a .257 team batting average. The Tigers rank sixth in the GAC in pitching with a 4.55 team ERA.
- Autumn Suydam leads East Central, hitting .389 with 14 hits and two doubles. Samantha McGraw is hitting .310 and has knocked in a team-high 14 runs. Jordynn VanPelt is hitting .261 on the season and is second on the team in RBIs with 10.
- Pitcher Sydney Dow leads the Tigers in the circle with a 3.36 ERA in eight appearances. She has struck out 33 batters and has given up 29 hits this season.
SERIES
- Harding leads the series 4-1.
- Harding will be making its first trip to Ada, Oklahoma. The two teams faced off in Searcy as the Lady Bisons won the four game series 3-1. Harding also defeated East Central in the GAC Tournament held in Bentonville, Arkansas 4-3.
- Last season Mackenzie Jones hit .500 against East Central. She had four hits and three RBIs. Carolyn Clayton hit .467 with seven hits and a team leading five RBI.
- Amber Rollins posted a 2.15 ERA against East Central last season. In five appearances she struck out 26 batters and gave up 10 runs.
