OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The Harding softball team defeated Missouri Southern in walk-off fashion 3-2 but fell to No. 16 Central Oklahoma 2-1 in eight innings Saturday on the second day of the Central Oklahoma/Oklahoma Christian Invitational. Both games were played at Central Oklahoma's field.
Harding moves to 10-4 on the season.
Harding vs. Missouri Southern
Chelsea Blankenship hit her first career walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Harding a 3-2 win over Missouri Southern. It was programs seventh walk-off home run. The last being by Nicole Shano against Arkansas Tech last season.
Sophomore Abby Burch (4-0) got the win out of the bullpen for Harding (10-3). The right-hander went 1.1 shutout innings without giving up a hit.
Blankenship led the way offensively for the Lady Bisons, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Freshman Emma Curry also went 2-for-3 with a double and a triple. Sophomore Ashton Bryce also helped out, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lady Bisons were trailing 1-0 in the first inning when they first put a run on the board. Harding got an RBI single from Blankenship, scoring junior Nicole Shano from second base.
The score stayed at 1-1 until the very next inning, when the Lady Bisons scored a run. Harding off a RBI single by Bryce.
Missouri Southern State then rallied to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth before Harding walked it off in the bottom of the seventh on Blankenship's two-out solo home run off Kara Amos.
GAME NOTES
» Four Harding players had multiple hits in the game.
» It was Blankenship's fourth home run of the season.
» The Lady Bisons out-hit the Lions at a 10-8 clip.
» Harding went 4-for-11 (.364) with runners in scoring position.
» Harding pitchers faced 31 Missouri Southern State hitters in the game, allowing nine ground balls and nine fly balls while striking out one.
» Missouri Southern State was led offensively by junior Ashlynn Williams, who went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
» Amos led the Lions pitching staff, throwing 6.2 innings of three-run ball.
Harding vs. Central Oklahoma
With runners at first and second and two outs, Central Oklahoma hit a single to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Junior Lily Tanski (5-3) received the loss. The right-hander went 7.2 innings, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on six hits, allowing three walks and striking out four.
Junior Nicole Shano led the way offensively for the Lady Bisons, going 1-for-3 with a home run.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After three scoreless innings, Harding broke the tie when Shano hit a two-out solo home run off sophomore Kylee Lynch. Central Oklahoma answered back in the bottom of the inning scoring a run off a single.
GAME NOTES
» Harding pitchers faced 32 Central Oklahoma hitters in the game, allowing four ground balls and 15 fly balls while striking out four.
» It was Shano's team-leading sixth home run of the season.
» Central Oklahoma was led offensively by junior Amelya Huggins, who went 1-for-2 with an RBI.
» Lynch led the Bronchos pitching staff, throwing eight innings.
Harding will wrap up the invitational Sunday with a single game at Oklahoma Christian. First pitch is scheduled for 12:15 p.m.
