SEARCY – The Harding softball team split a Great American Conference doubleheader with Ouachita Baptist Monday. The Lady Bisons won the first game 7-0 but dropped the second game 4-3.
Harding moves to 30-18 overall and 22-14 in the GAC. It is the fourth straight year the Lady Bisons have won 30 games in a season and a fourth time since the program started in 2014.
Ouachita Baptist moves to 19-24 overall and 17-16 in the GAC.
Game One Key Innings (Harding 7, Ouachita Baptist 0)
- Harding scored five runs on two hits and five Ouachita Baptist errors in the second inning. Madison Leggett singled in two runs to highlight the inning for the Lady Bisons. Lindsey Duncan had the other hit which drove in Leggett.
- Harding added two more runs in the second on three hits and an Ouachita Baptist error. Hanna Jones and Madison Leggett each singled in a run in the inning.
Game One Key Statistics
- Harding had eight hits with Madison Leggett going 2-for-2.
- Ouachita Baptist had four hits led by Natalie Jackson who had two.
- The Lady Bisons left eight runners on base and the Tigers left six.
- Jenna Hipp got the win for Harding to improve to 14-5 on the season. It was her ninth complete game and her second shutout of the season. The freshman struckout a season-high eight batters.
- Kelsey O'Brien received the loss for Ouachita Baptist and falls to 2-6 on the season. She allowed one earned run in the game.
- Ouachita Baptist's six errors ties for the most by a Harding opponent. The last time being in 2015 when Harding played at Southwestern Oklahoma.
Game Two Key Innings (Ouachita Baptist 4, Harding 3)
- Ouachita Baptist took a 1-0 lead in the first off of two hits. Tobi Finley hit a double to left field that scored Macy Wilson.
- Harding answered back in the bottom of the inning when Hanna Jones walked with the bases loaded. She saw 14 pitches in her at bat.
- The Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the second when Callie Jourdan singled in a run.
- The Lady Bisons tied the game in the fifth when Briley Feringa hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Peyton Mills.
- Ouachita Baptist broke the tie in the sixth scoring two runs on three hits. Leighton Withers had a pinch hit double that drove in Tobi Finley and Halley Ryburn singled in Withers.
- Harding got a run back in the sixth when Briley Feringa singled in Madison Leggett but the Lady Bisons left the bases loaded in the inning.
Game Two Key Statistics
- Ouachita Baptist had nine hits in the game led by Tobi Finley and Halley Ryburn who each had two.
- Harding had 11 hits led by Kyndal Pirtle and Briley Feringa who each had two.
- It was the fifth time this season Harding out hit its opponent and lost.
- Harding tied a season high when it left 12 runners on base.
- Marissa Butler got the win for Ouachita Baptist and improves to 11-11 on the season. She went five innings and gave up two earned runs.
- Mabry Smith got her first save of the season in two innings of work for the Tigers.
- Emma Dwyer received the loss and falls to 2-5 on the season. She pitched three innings of relief for Harding.
Next Up
- Harding will travel to Arkadelphia, Arkansas this weekend to take on Henderson State in a four-game series. First pitch is scheduled for Friday at 4 p.m.
