BRANSON, Mo. – The 21st-ranked Harding softball team came away with two victories Saturday on the final day of the NCAA D-II Battle. The Lady Bisons defeated Maryville 5-4 and McKendree 6-3.
Harding improves to 12-2 on the season.
Game One – Harding 5, Maryville 4
No. 21 Harding softball scored four runs in the third inning and held off a late Maryville rally to secure a 5-4 victory on Saturday.
Harding's Macy Ham drew a walk to lead off the game and eventually scored on a wild pitch to give the Lady Bisons an early 1-0 lead.
The Lady Bisons added four more runs in the third inning, capitalizing on three walks, a hit batter and a sacrifice fly by Bailey Willis. Emaline Pearson and Brooklyn Gobble also drove in runs during the inning.
Maryville (6-3) cut the deficit to 5-4 with a four-run fifth inning, highlighted by a two-run homer from Jenna Kosnoff. Emily Corona added an RBI double, and Payton Deakin scored on a stolen base.
Harding's Brooklyn Gobble (5-1) earned the win, pitching 4 1/3 innings and allowing four runs on four hits. Avery Booker and Riley Price combined to pitch 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, with Price earning her second save.
Chayse Ramey (3-2) took the loss for Maryville, allowing five runs on one hit in three innings. She walked eight and struck out two.
Kosnoff led Maryville at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Payton Deakin and Cailynn Gdowski also had hits for the Saints.
Game Two – Harding 6, McKendree 3
No. 21 Harding softball rallied for four runs in the sixth inning to take the lead and held on to defeat McKendree 6-3 on Saturday.
Macy Ham led the Lady Bisons, going 2-for-3 with a triple, two stolen bases and three runs scored. Zoey Neal added three hits and two RBIs, while Kaya Lee and Brooklyn Gobble each drove in a run.
Harding trailed 2-1 entering the sixth, but Ham sparked the rally with a triple. Lee followed with a bunt single, and Neal singled home Lee. Cameron Timmons, pinch-running for Neal, scored on Gobble's single, and Gobble later scored on Bailey Willis' single.
Avery Booker (3-0) earned the win in relief, allowing two runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. She struck out five and walked three.
Sami Huck (4-1) took the loss for McKendree, giving up five runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. She struck out nine and walked one.
Ellie Vetter homered for the Bearcats, who left 10 runners stranded.
Harding will be back in action next weekend when it opens Great American Conference action at Southwestern Oklahoma. The two teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader Friday starting at 4 p.m., and a single game Saturday at 12 p.m.
