Harding (25-11, 17-7 GAC) vs. No. 4 Arkansas Tech (30-3, 20-2 GAC)
Searcy, Ark. • March 29 – 2 p.m. (Doubleheader)

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

THE COACHES
Phil Berry, Harding
    at Harding: 80-66 (3rd season)
    Career: same
    vs. ATU: 6-3
Kristina McSweeney, Arkansas Tech
    at ATU: 128-75 (4th season)
    Career: same

THE SERIES
Series Record: HU leads 6-3
in Searcy: HU leads 4-0
First Meeting: HU 4-3 (3/25/14)
Last Meeting: ATU 10-2 (4/30/15)
Current Streak: ATU 1 game

The Harding softball team will host No. 4 Arkansas Tech on Tuesday in a Great American Conference doubleheader starting at 2 p.m., at the Harding Softball Field. The teams will finish their four-game series in Russellville, Arkansas on April 12.

Harding is 6-2 at home this season and it will be the third GAC series played at home. The Lady Bisons won series against Ouachita and East Central by a score of 3-1.

Harding Team Notes:
Harding is coming off a 3-1 GAC series win against East Central last weekend. The Lady Bisons produced 17 runs and hit .315 as a team. Harding was led by freshman shortstop Alexus Lawellin who hit .660 with six hits and five runs scored. Hannah Johnson held East Central to hitting .264 in her two appearances. She pitched 13 1/3 innings and gave up four earned runs.

Harding is hitting .335 to rank fourth in the GAC and 22nd in NCAA Division II. Senior Kinsey Beck leads the Lady Bisons and ranks eighth in the GAC, hitting .385.

Kimmy Hendricks leads the GAC in RBIs with 42. Hendricks is hitting .296 with 32 hits, six homeruns (three grand slams) and 24 runs scored. Mackenzie Jones ranks tied for sixth in the GAC in RBIs with 29.

Freshman Peyton Mills ranks third in the GAC in runs scored with 32. She ranks second in the GAC in drawn walks with 25 and has a team-high .481 on base percentage.

Harding ranks first in the GAC and eighth in NCAA Division II in stolen bases with 95 (2.75 per game). The Lady Bisons have 53 more stolen bases than second place in the GAC (East Central 42). The Lady Bisons have six players ranked in the top 10 in the GAC. Courtney Derrick ranks second with 21, Peyton Mills ranks third with 20, Kinsey Beck ranks fifth with 15, Alexus Lawellin ranks tied for eighth with 12 and Kimmy Hendricks and Brookelynn Moon are tied for 10th with 11.

Harding ranks first in the GAC in runs scored (225), hits (335), RBIs (201), doubles (57), triples (9), stolen bases (95) and saves (10).

Harding ranks sixth in the GAC with a 3.59 team ERA. Junior Hannah Johnson leads the Lady Bisons with a 2.18 ERA and a 12-2 record.

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

Harding has hit 25 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 12 of the home runs.

Harding ranks third in the GAC with a .960 fielding percentage.

The Lady Bisons are 0-3 against ranked opponents. Harding is 0-2 against a ranked opponent this season. The Lady Bisons fell to Missouri Western two times by a score of 7-5 and 4-1. Tuesday will be the first time Harding has played a ranked GAC opponent.

Opponent Notes:
Arkansas Tech heads into the series with a 30-3 overall record and a 20-2 GAC record. Its only conference losses came against Oklahoma Baptist and Southeastern Oklahoma. The Golden Suns are coming of a 3-1 series win at home against Southeastern Oklahoma.

Arkansas Tech is led by Jalissa Gum who is hitting .398 on the season and also leads the GAC with a 0.72 ERA. The double threat Gum, is second on the team with 27 hits, leads the team in doubles with 12 and leads the team in RBIs with 27. In the circle she has a 11-1 record in 14 appearances. Her only loss came in the first game of the series this past weekend against Southeastern Oklahoma.

Morgan Vaughn has started 13 games for Arkansas Tech in the circle and has a 1.34 ERA and a 11-0 record in 18 appearances.

The Golden Suns pitching staff has a 1.56 ERA to rank second in the GAC.

Arkansas Tech has a .967 fielding percentage heading into Tuesday. The Golden Suns have only allowed 13 stolen bases this season which is the second fewest in the GAC. Opponents have 21 steal attempts against the Golden Suns and of those 21 attempts they have been caught eight times.

Arkansas Tech Ranking in the GAC:

Batting Average: .328 – 3rd
Hits: 303 – 2nd
Home Runs: 22 – 5th
Wins: 30 – 1st
ERA: 1.56 – 2nd
Strikeouts: 228 – 2nd

Arkansas Tech Players Ranking in the GAC:

Batting Average: Alex Edinger - .418 – 3rd
Slugging Pct.: Jalissa Gum - .694 – 8th