SEARCY – The 17th-ranked Harding softball team won on a walkoff and a shutout Sunday over Ouachita Baptist in a Great American Conference series at the HU Softball Field. The Lady Bisons won 6-5 in nine innings and 3-0.
Harding improves to 14-4 overall and 8-2 in the GAC.
Ouachita Baptist falls to 9-8 overall and 5-5 in the GAC.
Game One Key Innings (Harding 6, Ouachita Baptist 5 – 9 innings)
- Ouachita Baptist got on the board in the top of the first when Sarah Johnson hit a single to right field that scored Kelly Powell from second.
- The Tigers added another run in the second off two hits.
- Harding got a run back in the second when Lindsey Duncan hit a single to center field that scored Madi Trump from second.
- Ouachita Baptist made it a 3-1 game in the third off one hit and a Harding error.
- After a leadoff single by Peyton Mills, Harding tied the game when Katie Carney hit a two-run home run to left field. It was her first of the season.
- The Tigers took back the lead in the fifth when Sarah Johnson singled in a run.
- Harding got its second home run of the game when Madison Leggett hit a leadoff shot to left field. It was her team-leading fifth of the season.
- Ouachita Baptist took a 5-4 lead in the seventh when Sloane Precure singled up the middle for a RBI.
- Harding tied the game in the seventh when Katie Carney singled down the right field line that scored Peyton Mills. Harding had the bases loaded with two outs but Ouachita Baptist forced a fly out to left to end the inning.
- After a leadoff single by Amanda Fields and a pitching change, Katie Carney singled to right field that scored Amanda Fields from second for the winning run.
Game One Key Statistics
- Harding had 14 hits in the game with five players having two or more. The Lady Bisons were led by Katie Carney who went 3-for-5 with four RBI.
- Ouachita Baptist had nine hits, led by Sarah Johnson who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
- Emma Dwyer pitched five innings of relief and got the win to improve to 5-1. She gave up three hits, two earned runs and struck out four.
- Lexi Brooks received the loss for Ouachita Baptist and falls to 0-2.
Game Two Key Innings (Harding 3, Ouachita Baptist 0)
- After three and a half scoreless innings, Harding scored two runs in the fourth on RBI by Kyndal Pirtle and Lindsey Duncan.
- The Lady Bisons added an insurance run in the sixth when Madi Trump hit a double down left field line and then advanced to third on the error by the left fielder. Kyndal Pirtle scored on the play.
- With runners at first and second for Ouachita Baptist in the top of the seventh, Harding's Amanda Berry struck out Cassie Cantu to get the win.
Game Two Key Statistics
- Each team had five hits.
- Amanda Fields led Harding going 2-for-2.
- Sloane Precure led Ouachita Baptist going 2-for-3.
- Harding's Amanda Berry picked up her third shutout of the season and improves to 4-2. She gave up five hits and struck out four.
- Sarah Chamberlain received the loss for Ouachita Baptist. She walked six and struck out five.
Up Next
- The two teams will wrap up their series Monday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
