Harding (22-10, 14-6 GAC) vs. East Central (14-17, 11-9 GAC)
Searcy, Ark. • March 25 – 2 p.m. (Doubleheader), March 26 – 12 p.m. (Doubleheader)

HOW TO FOLLOW
Internet:
    Live Stats: www.HardingSports.com
    Live Video: www.HardingSports.com

THE COACHES
Phil Berry, Harding
    at Harding: 77-65 (3rd season)
    Career: same
    vs. ECU: 4-5
Destini Anderson
    at ECU: 266-212-1 (10th season)
    Career: same

THE SERIES
Series Record: ECU leads 5-4
in Searcy: HU leads 3-1
First Meeting: HU 4-1 (3/8/14)
Last Meeting: ECU 8-0 (3/8/15)
Current Streak: ECU, 4 games

The Harding softball team will host East Central in a four game Great American Conference series this weekend. The Lady Bisons will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 2 p.m., and then a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon. It will be Harding's second home series this season.

Harding is 3-1 at home this season as the Lady Bisons hosted Ouachita in its only home GAC series.

Harding Team Notes:
Harding is coming off a 3-1 GAC series win at Southeastern Oklahoma last weekend. The Savage Storm came into the series ranked first in the GAC standings with a perfect 14-0 record.  Alexus Lawellin hit .533 in the series with a team high eight hits for the Lady Bisons. Kimmy Hendricks hit .467, had seven hits, four runs, three doubles and nine RBIs. Junior pitcher Hannah Johnson picked up two wins in the series and had a 1.00 ERA.

Harding is hitting .337 to rank third in the GAC and 22nd in NCAA Division II. Senior Kinsey Beck leads the Lady Bisons and ranks fifth in the GAC, hitting .430. Beck also leads the GAC in hits with 46.

Kimmy Hendricks leads the GAC in RBIs with 41. Hendricks is hitting .310 with 31 hits, six homeruns (three grand slams) and 22 runs scored. Mackenzie Jones ranks tied for fourth in the GAC in RBIs with 28 and Brookelynn Moon is tied for seventh with 25.

Freshman Peyton Mills ranks second in the GAC in runs scored with 35. She ranks second in the GAC in drawn walks with 24 and has a team-high .492 on base percentage.

Harding ranks first in the GAC and eighth in NCAA Division II in stolen bases with 88 (2.75 per game). The Lady Bisons have 49 more stolen bases than second place in the GAC (Southeastern Oklahoma 39). The Lady Bisons have six players ranked in the top 10 in the GAC. Courtney Derrick ranks second with 20, Peyton Mills ranks third with 18, Kinsey Beck ranks fifth with 14, Brookelynn Moon ranks tied for sixth with 11 and Kimmy Hendricks and Alexus Lawellin rank tied for ninth with 10.

Harding ranks first in the GAC in runs scored (208), hits (306), RBIs (186), doubles (52), stolen bases (88) and saves (9).

Harding ranks fifth in the GAC with a 3.47 team ERA. Junior Hannah Johnson leads the Lady Bisons with a 2.20 ERA and an 11-2 record.

Freshman pitcher Kelly Beth Ernest leads all of NCAA Division II with seven saves.

Harding has hit 24 home runs this season to rank fourth in the GAC. Of the Lady Bisons 24 home runs, five have been grand slams and Harding has had a least two runners on during 11 of the home runs.

Peyton Mills has reached base in every game this season (32) which sets a new Harding record. The previous record was held by Kimmy Hendricks who reached base in 21 straight games last season. Mills also has the longest current hitting streak with a hit in her last 13 games.

Opponent Notes:
East Central heads into the series with a 14-17 overall record and a 11-9 GAC record. The Tigers have lost their last five GAC games. East Central was swept by No. 5 Arkansas Tech last weekend as the Golden Suns held the Tigers to scoring three runs in the series.

Taylor Davis leads East Central with a .384 batting average. She also leads the team in hits (38) and runs scored (26).

Marissa Shaffer has the most appearance for the Tigers (15) and has a 3.50 ERA. She has a 7-6 record and has thrown nine complete games.

East Central Ranking in the GAC:

Batting Average: .259 – 8th
Hits: 212 – 8th
Home Runs: 16 – tied 8th
Wins: 14 – 7th
ERA: 3.48 – 6th
Strikeouts: 119 – 7th

East Central Players Ranking in the GAC:

Batting Average: Taylor Davis - .384 – tied 11th
Slugging Pct.: Jordynn VanPelt - .710 – 5th
Runs Scored: Taylor Davis – 26 – tied 7th
Hits: Taylor Davis – 38 – tied 6th
RBIs: Jordynn VanPelt – 25 – tied 7th
Doubles: Jordynn VanPelt – 11 – tied 1st
Home Runs: Jordynn VanPelt – 7 – tied 6th
Stolen Bases: Autumn Suydam – 16 – 4th