BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Powered by home runs from Ella Friederich and Zoey Neal, the Harding softball team opened the Great American Conference Tournament with a 5-2 victory over Southern Nazarene on Thursday morning.
With the win, the Lady Bisons (28-22) advance on to take No. 1 seed Arkansas Tech at noon Friday.
Harding's offense ignited early. After Neal reached on a one-out single in the bottom of the first inning, Friederich launched a two-run home run to center field to give the Lady Bisons a 2-0 lead.
The lead grew in the second inning when Tori Turner walked and eventually scored on a Southern Nazarene fielding error. In the third, Neal doubled and was driven home by a Turner RBI single to left, pushing the Harding advantage to 4-0.
Southern Nazarene cut into the lead in the fourth inning. Following a Harding error, Presley Brott delivered a two-out, two-run single to pull the Crimson Storm within 4-2. However, Neal answered in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run to left field.
Neal finished the game a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI. Friederich also had a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a walk.
Brooklyn Gobble (19-15) earned the win with a commanding complete-game performance. She allowed seven hits and just one earned run over seven innings, striking out three and walking none. Gobble threw 64 of her 88 pitches for strikes and did not allow a runner past first base in the final three innings.
Baylee Sales (10-10) took the loss for Southern Nazarene, allowing four runs (three earned) in three innings of work.
