SEARCY – The Harding softball team fell to Ouachita 8-6 in 10 innings but battled back to win the second game of the Great American Conference doubleheader 4-2. The Lady Bisons won the series 3-1 after sweeping the Tigers on Friday.
 
Harding moves to 12-6 overall and 5-3 in the GAC. Ouachita moves to 7-9 overall and 1-7 in the GAC.
 
Game One Key Innings (Ouachita 8, Harding 6 - 10 Innings)

-         Ouachita took a 6-0 lead in the first inning on six hits, led by a Macy Nantz who hit a single to left center that scored two runs.

-         Harding got two runs back in the second when Mackenzie Jones scored and Morgan Acosta tripled to center field to score Amanda Berdon from first.

-         The Lady Bisons scored two more runs in the sixth on three hits on a Courtney Derrick triple to right center that scored Acosta and Brookelynn Moon.

-         Harding tied the game in the bottom of the seventh on one hit and two Ouachita errors. Peyton Mills scored the Lady Bisons first run and then with two outs, Acosta reached on a fielding error that scored Brookelynn Moon.

-         Harding held Ouachita scoreless until the 10th inning. The Tigers scored two runs when Alex Jennings singled in two runs with two outs.

 
Game One Key Statistics

-         Harding's Kinsey Beck pushed her hitting streak to 17 games, picking up a single in the seventh inning.

-         Morgan Acosta went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored to lead the Lady Bisons.

-         Harding had 11 hits in the game but gave up 16.

-         Kelsey O'Brien got the win for Ouachita to improve to 3-3 on the season. She pitched four innings of relief, gave up two hits and no earned runs.

-         Kelly Beth Ernest got the loss for the Lady Bisons, falling to 4-2 on the season. She pitched three innings of relief, gave up two earned runs and struck out two.

-         Kristen Dempsey pitched 6 1/3 innings of relief for Harding. She gave up eight hits and no runs and struck out two.

 
Game Two Key Innings (Harding 4, Ouachita 2)

-         After three scoreless innings, Harding got on the board first in the bottom of the fourth inning scoring three runs on four hits. Kimmy Hendricks, Kinsey Beck and Brookelynn Moon each had an RBI for the Lady Bisons.

-         Harding tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth when Hendricks singled up the middle to score Alexus Lawellin.

-         Ouachita made things interesting scoring two runs on three hits in the top of the sixth. Daniella Brantley homered to left field to lead off the inning and then Paige Purifoy was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded that scored the second run.

 
Game Two Key Statistics

-         Kinsey Beck went 2-for-3 in the game to move her hitting streak to 18 games. She has had a hit in every game this season.

-         Each team had six hits in the game.

-         Hannah Johnson started the game for Harding and got the win to improve to 5-1 on the season. She pitched five innings, gave up four hits and one earned run.

-         Kelly Beth Ernest came on and got her third save of the season for the Lady Bisons. She pitched two innings, gave up two hits and no earned runs.

-         Marissa Butler, Ouachita starting pitcher, got the loss and falls to 0-4 on the season. She pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up five hits and three earned runs.

Up Next

-         Harding will be back in action on Tuesday when it travels to Rolla, Missouri to take on Missouri S&T in a non-conference doubleheader that starts at 1 p.m.