BENTONVILLE, Ark. — The 12th-ranked Southern Arkansas Muleriders edged 23rd-ranked Harding 2-1 Friday in a tight semifinal matchup of the Great American Conference Softball Tournament at Bentonville High School.
Harding will have to wait for the NCAA selection show to know if they will be in the NCAA Tournament. The show will air Monday at 9 a.m., CT on NCAA.com. The top eight teams in the region advance to the NCAA Central Region Tournament. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will each host three other teams on May 8-10 in a double elimination format.
Jenna Huey led off the fifth-inning with a solo home run for the Muleriders (41-8). They also scored a run in the fifth when America Rubio singled home Payton Owens, who had reached on a walk.
Harding (39-16) scored its lone run in the second inning when Jadyn Booth doubled and later scored on a passed ball. The Lady Bisons had seven hits but struggled to bring runners home, stranding six on base.
Brinson Rogers (28-4) earned the win for Southern Arkansas, pitching a complete game and allowing one run on seven hits while striking out five. Brooklyn Gobble (17-7) took the loss for Harding, surrendering two runs on three hits and striking out six over six innings.
