Harding (25-13, 17-9 GAC) at Southern Arkansas (27-4, 19-4 GAC)
Magnolia, Ark. • April 1 – 2 p.m. (Doubleheader), April 2 – 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: 80-68 (3rd season)
    Career: same
    vs. SAU: 1-4
Jason Anderson, Southern Arkansas
    at SAU: 53-28 (2nd season)
    Career: 319-86 (7th season)

THE SERIES
Series Record: SAU leads 4-1
in Magnolia: SAU leads 4-0
First Meeting: SAU 4-1 (3/14/14)
Last Meeting: HU 5-0 (4/30/15)
Current Streak: HU 1 game

The Harding softball team will travel to Magnolia, Arkansas this weekend to take on Southern Arkansas in a four game GAC series starting Friday at 2 p.m. The two teams will wrap up the series on Saturday in a doubleheader starting at noon.

Harding is 14-6 in true road games this season and is 19-9 away from its home field.

Harding Team Notes:
Harding is coming off a GAC doubleheader loss at home against No. 4 Arkansas Tech. The Golden Suns won 4-3 and 8-6. The Lady Bisons hit .250 between the two games. Mackenzie Jones went 3-for-6 with two RBIs and Peyton Mills went 3-for-8 with one home run and five RBIs.

Harding is hitting .330 to rank fourth in the GAC and 19th in NCAA Division II. Junior Brookelynn Moon leads the Lady Bisons hitting .378 to rank 10th in the GAC.

Kimmy Hendricks leads the GAC in RBIs with 42. Hendricks is hitting .283 with 32 hits, six homeruns (three grand slams) and 24 runs scored. Mackenzie Jones ranks tied for sixth in the GAC in RBIs with 31.

Freshman Peyton Mills ranks third in the GAC in runs scored with 34. She ranks second in the GAC in drawn walks with 25 and has a team-high .476 on base percentage.

Harding ranks first in the GAC and eighth in NCAA Division II in stolen bases with 96 (2.72 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 and Kimmy Hendricks ranks tied for eighth with 12, and Brookelynn Moon are tied for 10th with 11.

Harding ranks first in the GAC in runs scored (234), hits (349), RBIs (210), doubles (59), triples (9), stolen bases (96) and saves (10).

Harding ranks eighth in the GAC with a 3.70 team ERA. Junior Hannah Johnson leads the Lady Bisons with a 2.31 ERA and a 12-3 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 .961 fielding percentage.

Opponent Notes:
Southern Arkansas heads into the series with a 27-4 overall record and a 19-4 GAC record. The Lady Muleriders are receiving votes in the National Fast Pitch Association coaches poll and are second in the GAC standings behind Arkansas Tech.

Southern Arkansas is coming off a doubleheader split with Arkansas-Monticello on Tuesday. The Lady Muleriders won the first game 4-1 but dropped the second game 3-1.

Southern Arkansas is led by Darian Harris who is hitting .407 with 35 hits and a team-high 10 doubles. Brooke Goad is right behind her hitting .404 with a team-high 38 hits and a team high 15 home runs.

The Lady Muleriders have a team ERA of 1.38 which leads the GAC and ranks fifth in NCAA Division II. Southern Arkansas is led in the circle by Kaylee Garner who has a 1.17 ERA and a 13-3 record. In 90 innings, she has given up 49 hits, 15 earned runs and struck out 105. Kimmy Beasley is the Lady Muleriders other starter. She has a 1.54 ERA and a 14-1 record. She has thrown 12 complete games and struck out a 121 batters which ranks second in the GAC.

Southern Arkansas Ranking in the GAC:

Batting Average: .340 – 1st
Hits: 265 – 5th
Home Runs: 44 – 1st
Wins: 27 – 2nd
ERA: 1.34 – 1st
Strikeouts: 229 – 3rd

Southern Arkansas Players Ranking in the GAC:

Batting Average: Darian Harris - .407 – 2nd
Slugging Pct.: Brooke Goad - .957 – 1st