MANGOLIA, Ark. – The fifth-ranked Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders won both games of the Great American Conference doubleheader Saturday against the Harding Lady Bisons. Southern Arkansas won 5-1 and 10-6.
Harding falls to 27-15 overall and 19-13 in the GAC.
Southern Arkansas improves to 40-4 overall and 29-3 in the GAC.
Southern Arkansas is the first ranked team the Lady Bisons have played this season.
Game One Key Innings (Southern Arkansas 5, Harding 1)
- Southern Arkansas got on the board in the second inning when Marina Duran and Jill Roye walking with the bases loaded.
- Harding got a run back in the first when Kyndal Pirtle walked with the bases loaded.
- The Lady Muleriders made it a 3-1 game in the second when Faith Otts hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Hallie Saintigna.
- Southern Arkansas added two more in the sixth inning on RBI by Duran and Roye.
Game One Key Statistics
- Southern Arkansas had eight hits by five different players.
- Harding had four hits by four different players.
- Victoria Taylor received the win and improves to 18-0 for Southern Arkansas. She gave up the earned run and struck out nine.
- Emily Garrett gets the loss for Harding in 5 1/3 innings of work. She falls to 8-3 on the season. Amanda Berry also pitched 2/3 of an inning of relief.
Game Two Key Innings (Southern Arkansas 10, Harding 6)
- Harding took a 1-0 lead in the first when Katie Carney drove in Madi Trump.
- Southern Arkansas tied the game when Rachel Miller scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first and then took the lead when Marina Duran hit a two RBI single to left center
- With the bases loaded in the second, Peyton Mills hit her first career grand slam. It was the 11th in program history with Kimmy Hendricks (2014-17) having the last one against Southeastern Oklahoma last season. The Lady Bisons then went up 6-3 when Katlyn Gordon was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
- Southern Arkansas took back the lead in the bottom of the second on a RBI single by Rachel Miller and a three-run home run by Faith Otts.
- The Lady Muleriders went up 10-6 in the third when Brooke Goad hit a three-run home run to center field.
Game Two Key Statistics
- Southern Arkansas had 12 hits with Faith Otts and Brooke Goad each going 3-for-4.
- Harding had nine hits with Peyton Mills going 3-for-4.
- Victoria Taylor received the win for Southern Arkansas after pitching four effective innings of relief. She had one walk and seven strikeouts.
- Emma Dwyer received the loss and falls to 10-7 overall. She pitched 1 2/3 innings and struck out one. Amanda Berry and Emily Garrett each pitched in relief and didn't give up an earned run.
Up Next
- The two teams will wrap up their series with a doubleheader Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.
