Harding (9-5, 2-2 GAC) vs. Ouachita (6-6, 0-4 GAC)
Searcy, Ark. • Feb. 26 - 1 p.m. (Doubleheader), Feb. 27 – 12 p.m. (Doubleheader)
HOW TO FOLLOW
Internet:
   Live Video: www.HardingSports.com ***Friday Only***
   Live Stats: www.HardingSports.com
THE COACHES
Phil Berry, Harding
   at Harding: 64-63 (3rd season)
   Career: same
   vs. OUA: 6-2
Mike McGhee, Ouachita
   at OUA: 259-325 (12th season)
   Career: same
THE SERIES
Series Record: Harding leads 6-2
in Searcy: HU leads 3-1
First Meeting: OUA 1-0 (4/18/14)
Last Meeting: HU 6-4 (4/20/15)
Current Streak: HU, 1 game
The Harding softball team will play its first home games of the season this weekend when it hosts Ouachita in a four-game Great American Conference series Friday and Saturday. First pitch on Friday is at 1 p.m.
It will be the first time the two teams have played in Harding's home opener. The Lady Bisons are 2-0 in home openers. Harding defeated Southern Nazarene 4-2 in 2014 and Christian Brothers 9-1 in 2015. It will be the second time Harding has had its home opener be a GAC series. The Lady Bisons won the series over Southern Nazarene 3-1 in 2014.
Harding Team Notes:
Harding went 2-2 against Henderson State last weekend to open GAC action. The Lady Bisons split with the Reddies on Friday and on Saturday. Harding hit .320 in the series led by senior Kinsey Beck who hit .600 going 9-for-15 at the plate. Freshman Alexus Lawellin led the Lady Bisons with four RBIs when she hit her first career grand slam in game two of the series. Brookelynn Moon and Courtney Derrick each had seven hits in the series.
Harding is hitting .331 to rank third in the GAC. Senior infielder Kinsey Beck leads the Lady Bisons and ranks third in the GAC, hitting .479. Beck leads the team and the GAC with 23 hits and three doubles. Brookelynn Moon is right behind her hitting .432 to rank seventh in the GAC. She has 19 hits and 11 RBIs.
Kimmy Hendricks leads the GAC in RBIs with 22. Hendricks is hitting .293 with 12 hits, three homeruns (all grand slams) and 11 runs scored.
Junior outfielder Courtney Derrick, Harding's leadoff batter, ranks tied for seventh in the GAC in runs scored with 13.
Freshman outfielder Peyton Mills leads the GAC in walks drawn with 16. She has a .547 on base percentage to lead the Lady Bisons.
Harding ranks first in the GAC in stolen bases with 38. Courtney Derrick ranks second with 11 and Peyton Mills ranks third with seven. Kimmy Hendricks and Kinsey Beck rank tied for fifth with five and Brookelynn Moon ranks tied for ninth with four.
Harding ranks seventh in the GAC with a 4.00 team ERA. Freshman Kelly Beth Ernest leads the Lady Bisons with a 1.50 ERA. Ernest has a 3-1 record in seven appearances and has recorded two saves.
Harding has hit 10 home runs this season to rank tied for fifth in the GAC. Of the Lady Bisons 10 home runs, four have been grand slams and Harding has had a least two runners on during seven of the home runs.
Kinsey Beck has had a hit in every game this season. Her 14 game hitting streak sets a new program record. She broke the previous record of 13 held by Amanda Berdon who set the record in 2014.
Kinsey Beck, Peyton Mills and Kimmy Hendricks have each reached base in every game this season.
Series Notes:
Harding and Ouachita will be meeting for its third series.
Series Individual Records, Harding vs. Henderson State:
   Hits – 3, five times – last by Marley Edwards (4/19/2015)
   RBIs – 3, two times – last by Marley Edwards (4/20/2015)
   Runs – 3, Kinsey Beck (4/18/2014)
Opponent Notes:
Ouachita heads into the series with a 6-6 overall record and a 0-4 GAC record. The Tigers are coming off their GAC series with Arkansas Tech last weekend. The Golden Suns swept Ouachita 4-0 (8-1, 11-3, 10-2 and 4-1).
The Tigers are led by sophomore Emily Acuna who is hitting .353 in 34 at bats. She has 12 hits, five RBIs and five runs scored. Sarah Johnson is right behind her, hitting .351. She leads the team in hits with 13 and runs scored with six.
Ouachita ranks 10th in the GAC with a .237 team batting average and ranks eighth with a 4.01 team ERA.
Junior Macy Nantz leads the team with a 2.28 ERA and a 4-1 record. She ranks eighth in the GAC in strikeouts with 27th.
