SEARCY – The Harding softball team swept both games of a Great American Conference doubleheader Saturday over 6th-ranked Southern Arkansas in walk-off fashion. The Lady Bisons won the first game 3-2 on a Riley Price RBI single in the eighth inning. Leigh Harris won the second game 7-5 Harding when she hit a two-run home run to right field.

Harding has now won four games against ranked opponents this season.

The Lady Bisons improve to 17-3 overall and 4-1 in the GAC.

Southern Arkansas falls to 15-4 overall and 3-2 in the GAC.

GAME ONE (Harding 3, Southern Arkansas 2 – 8 innings)

The Harding Lady Bisons needed eight innings to get the job done, walking it off on a single by sophomore Riley Price to claim victory over the No. 6 Southern Arkansas.

Price (8-2) got the win for Harding (16-3, 3-1). The right-hander went eight innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on four hits, allowing one walk and striking out three.

Sophomore Emma Curry led the way offensively for the Lady Bisons, going 2-for-4 in the game with a double and an RBI. Sophomore Leigha Harris also had a double and an RBI. Price also contributed, going 2-for-4 for Harding with an RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Harding tied the game scoring two runs on two hits. Leigha Harris doubled in a run and Emma Curry hit an RBI single.

After a double by Curry in the bottom of the eighth, Riley Price hit a single to left field and Curry evaded the tag at home for the winning run.

GAME NOTES

» The Lady Bisons out-hit the Muleriders at a 6-4 clip.
» Harding went 3-for-8 (.375) with runners in scoring position.
» Harding pitchers faced 30 Southern Arkansas hitters in the game, allowing nine ground balls and 12 fly balls while striking out three.
» Southern Arkansas was led offensively by junior Kamryn Moctezuma, who went 1-for-3 with a double.
» Sophomore Sydney Ward received the loss for Southern Arkansas, walking three and striking out three.

GAME TWO (Harding 7, Southern Arkansas 5)

The Harding Lady Bisons rallied to score three in the seventh inning and walked it off on sophomore Leigha Harris' two-run home run.

Junior Abby Burch (2-0) got the win out of the bullpen for Harding (17-3, 4-1). The right-hander went 1.2 shutout innings without giving up a hit and a walk. She had one strikeout.

At the plate, the Lady Bisons were led by Harris, who went 1-for-2 on the day with a home run, two walks and two RBI. Senior Nicole Shano also went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Senior Hannah Garrett also put together two hits in three trips to the plate.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Trailing 2-0 in the third inning, Harding tied the game scoring two runs on two hits and an error. Nicole Shano had an RBI single in the inning.

Southern Arkansas took a 5-2 lead in the fifth scoring three runs on three hits. Kamryn Moctezuma highlighted the inning with a two-run triple.

Harding got two runs back in the fifth when Nicole Shano hit a single through the right side that scored two runs.

In the bottom of the seventh and no outs, Hanna Jones hit a single up the middle that scored Macy Smith from second to tie the game at five. Two batters later, Leigha Harris hit her second home run of the season to win the game.

GAME NOTES

» It was Harding's seventh walk-off home run in school history.
» The Lady Bisons out-hit the Muleriders at a 10-9 clip.
» Harding went 4-for-8 (.500) with runners in scoring position.
» Harding pitchers faced 33 Southern Arkansas hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and 11 fly balls while striking out four.
» Southern Arkansas was led offensively by junior Kamryn Moctezuma, who went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBI.
 

The two teams will wrap up their series Sunday with a single game starting at 1 p.m.