BETHANY, Okla. – The Harding softball team lost the first game of the doubleheader 8-3 but bounced back to win the second game 10-4 in Great American Conference action. The series between the two teams was scheduled to be played in Searcy but due to weather the series was moved to Southern Nazarene. Since the games were supposed to be Harding's home games, the Lady Bisons were the home team in the series.
Harding wins the series 3-1 after winning both games on Sunday.
Harding moves to 19-9 overall and 11-5 in the GAC. Southern Nazarene moves to 8-16 overall and 3-13 in the GAC.
Game One Key Innings (Southern Nazarene 8, Harding 3)
- Harding got on the board first, scoring three runs on two hits in the third inning. Amanda Berdon scored on a wild pitch and then Peyton Mills hit a two run home run to center field.
- Southern Nazarene answered back with six runs on six hits in the top of the fourth. Emily Idler, Sam Smith and Sydni Toilolo each had two RBIs in the inning.
- The Crimson Storm scored two more runs in the fifth on RBIs by Kriston Shumaker and Sam Smith.
Game One Key Statistics
- Harding was led at the plate by Amanda Berdon who went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
- Kayla Wyatt got the win for Southern Nazarene to improve her record to 5-6 on the season. She threw the complete game, gave up five hits and struck out 10.
- Harding's starting pitcher Hannah Johnson pitched 3 1/3 innings and received the loss (9-2). Kristen Dempsey pitched one inning of relief and Kelly Beth Ernest pitched 2 2/3 innings.
Game Two Key Innings (Harding 10, Southern Nazarene 4)
- Harding scored four runs on four hits and error in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead. Kinsey Beck and Alexus Lawellin each knocked in a run and Amanda Berdon hit a two run home run.
- The Lady Bisons scored another run in the third when Kinsey Beck singled up the middle.
- Southern Nazarene got a run back in the fourth when Hannah LeBeau hit a solo home run to left center.
- The Crimson Storm scored two more runs in the fifth off of two hits and error to cut the Harding lead to 5-3.
- Southern Nazarene cut the lead to one in the sixth after Kyndall Freer doubled to right center to knock in Cheyenne Reynolds
- Harding answered back with five runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth on three home runs. Kimmy Hendricks and Brookelynn Moon each hit a two run shot and Mackenzie Jones hit a solo home run to left center.
Game Two Key Statistics
- Harding had 14 hits in the game and four home runs which is the second most in school history. The Lady Bisons had seven home runs in a game against Northwestern Oklahoma in 2014.
- Four different Harding players had two RBIs in the game.
- The Lady Bisons were led by Kinsey Beck who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
- Ashley Smith got the win for Harding to improve her record to 5-3. She pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up one earned run and struck out two.
- Kelly Beth Ernest picked up her sixth save of the season pitching 2 2/3 innings.
Up Next
- Harding will travel to Durant, Oklahoma this weekend to take on Southeastern Oklahoma in a four-game series starting Friday at 2 p.m.
