CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Harding softball team swept both games Saturday in the NFCA DII Leadoff Classic. The Lady Bisons picked up wins over No. 5 Saint Leo 8-5 and West Georgia 4-1. Harding improves to 3-1 on the season.
Harding is now 15-16 against ranked opponents.
Game One Key Innings (Harding 8, #5 Saint Leo 5)
- Harding jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first off four hits. Briley Feringa singled in a run and Amanda Fields hit a double to score two more runs.
- The Lady Bisons made it 4-0 in the second when Peyton Mills singled in Madison Leggett.
- Saint Leo got on the board in the third when Shyanne DuBois hit a double that scored Ashley Morris.
- The Lions got a run in the third and two more in the fourth to pull within one, 4-3.
- Harding scored three insurance runs in the fourth on RBI's by Peyton Mills, Amanda Fields and Hanna Jones.
- Saint Leo added two more in the fifth.
- Lindsey Duncan drew a walk with the bases loaded in the sixth to make it an 8-5 game.
Game One Key Statistics
- Harding had 10 hits led by Peyton Mills, Briley Feringa and Amanda Fields who each had two.
- Amanda Fields had three RBI's, which tied a career-high.
- Pyper James picked up her first collegiate win in 3 3/2 innings. She gave up four hits, and had one strikeout.
- Kymberlyn Baldwin got the save in three shutout innings of work. It was her first career save.
- Rachel Bean received the loss and falls to 1-1 on the season. She gave up four earned runs and walked two.
Game Two Key Innings (Harding 4, West Georgia 1)
- West Georgia broke the scoreless tie in the second scoring a run on two hits.
- Harding had a big fourth inning, scoring four runs on five hits and an error. Amanda Fields had a RBI double and Kiley Persons singled in a run.
Game Two Key Statistics
- Harding had six hits, all by different players.
- West Georgia had three hits.
- Jenna Hipp picked up her second win of the season to improve to 2-0. She pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up three hits and one earned run.
- Emma Dwyer picked up her fifth career save in 1 1/3 innings of work. She didn't give up a hit and had one strikeout.
- Lindsye Jefferson received the loss and falls to 3-1 on the season.
Up Next
- Harding will wrap up the tournament Sunday when it takes on Lee at 10 a.m., Central Time.