SEARCY – The 13th-ranked Harding softball team split its non-conference doubleheader with Delta State Wednesday. The Lady Bisons won the first game 6-0 but dropped the second game 3-1.

Harding moves to 24-7 overall and Delta State moves to 9-19.

GAME ONE (Harding 6, Delta State 0)

Sophomore Riley Price was dealing on Wednesday, throwing a two-hit shutout to lead the No. 13 Harding Lady Bisons over the Delta State Statesmen 6-0.

Price (10-3) went the distance for Harding, giving up two hits, walking one and striking out five. It was her first shutout and her fourth complete game this season.

Senior Nicole Shano led the way offensively for the Lady Bisons, going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Sophomore Macy Smith also helped out, going 2-for-3 for Harding with an RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Harding got the scoring started in the first inning. After a triple by Hanna Jones to lead off the inning, Nicole Shano knocked her in when she hit a grounder to second.

The Lady Bisons added two more runs on three hits in the second. Macy Smith and Leigha Harris both singled in a run in the inning.

Harding made it 4-0 in the fifth when Emma Curry hit a single down the left field line that scored Brooke Johnson from second.

The Lady Bisons scored two more runs in the sixth when Nicole Shano hit a double to left center that scored Hanna Jones and Macy Smith.

GAME NOTES

» The Lady Bisons out-hit the Statesmen at a 9-2 clip.
» Harding went 4-for-12 (.333) with runners in scoring position.
» Riley Price faced 22 Delta State hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and six fly balls while striking out five.
» Delta State was led offensively by junior Sydney Pevey, who went 1-for-2.
» Junior Madison Jenkins went the distance in the circle for Delta State and took the loss. She falls to 3-9 on the season.

GAME TWO (Delta State 3, Harding 1)

Junior Maegan Pistokache (5-2) got the ball to start for Harding but took the loss. The right-hander went six innings, giving up three runs, all of them earned, on five hits, allowing no walks and striking out three. Junior Abby Burch came out of the pen and threw one scoreless inning, allowing no hits, no walks and two strikeouts.

Macy Smith led the way offensively for the Lady Bisons, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Sophomore Leigha Harris  and junior Jordan Cabana also went 1-for-3 with each having a double.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, Harding tied the game when Macy Smith hit an infield single that scored Jordan Cabana from third.

Delta State broke the tie in the sixth when Jenny Griggers hit a two-run home run to left field.

GAME NOTES

» Harding pitchers faced 26 Delta State hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out five.
» Delta State was led offensively by junior Jenny Griggers, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
» Senior Lacey Coats got the win for Delta State to improve to 6-7 on the season. She allowed one earned run and struck out four.

Harding will be back in action this weekend when it hosts Northwestern Oklahoma in a three-game Great American Conference series. The series has been moved to Saturday and Sunday due to weather. The two teams will play a doubleheader Saturday starting at 4 p.m., and then a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.