SEARCY – Freshman Amanda Fields singled in a run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the No. 17th ranked Harding softball team a 4-3 victory of Southern Nazarene in Great American Conference action Friday. Game two of the doubleheader was suspended after the fourth inning due to darkness with Harding leading 4-1. The game will pick up Saturday at noon.
Harding improves to 21-6 overall and 13-4 in the GAC.
Southern Nazarene falls to 9-16 overall and 6-9 in the GAC.
Game One Key Innings (Harding 4, Southern Nazarene 3 – 10 innings)
- Southern Nazarene scored in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead when Riley Brown hit into a fielder's choice that scored James.
- Harding answered back with a run in the bottom of the inning when Briley Feringa hit a single to left field that scored Katlyn Gordon from second.
- The Crimson Storm took a 2-1 lead in the third inning when Caitlyn Curlee singled up the middle to score Sydni Toilolo.
- Harding again tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Briley Feringa knocked in Madi Trump from third.
- The Lady Bisons took a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Feringa hit into a fielder's choice that scored Katlyn Gordon from third.
- Southern Nazarene tied the game in the top of the seventh on two hits. Riley Brown singled in the run with two outs and a 3-2 count.
- Harding had the game winning hit in the bottom of the 10th on three hits. With runners at first and second, Amanda Fields hit a single to left to score Mason McCord.
Game One Key Statistics
- Harding had nine hits with Katlyn Gordon, Briley Feringa and Katie Carney each having two.
- Feringa's three RBI was a career high.
- Southern Nazarene had 12 hits with Victoria Rodriguez going 4-for-4.
- The Crimson Storm left 16 on base and the Lady Bisons left 11.
- Emma Dwyer received the win and improves to 8-3. She gave up four hits, no runs and struck out five in relief. Amanda Berry started the game and went 6 2/3 innings and struck out three for Harding.
- Katelyn Brown received the loss for Southern Nazarene and falls to 6-9. She pitched 5 1/3 innings of relief, gave up one earned run and struck out five.