Harding sweeps doubleheader from SAU

Third-ranked Harding University (40-4, 30-2 Great American Conference) swept a doubleheader from No. 7 Southern Arkansas University (35-9, 25-7 GAC) on Friday, winning the first game 4-0 and the second game 2-1 in the first-ever meeting of top-10 ranked GAC schools.

Courtney Derrick and Peyton Mills both went 2 for 3 in the first game for the Lady Bisons, who scored all four runs in the fifth inning. Mills hit a three-run home run in the fifth for Harding. Hannah Johnson threw her 13th complete game and ninth shutout to pick up the victory. She gave up 3 hits, walked 3 and struck out 2.

Derrick went 2 for 3 again in the second game for Harding, while SAU’s Marina Duran also went 2 for 3. Southern Arkansas took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Tyler Casada hit a sacrifice fly to score Chloe Hicks, but Harding tied the game at 1-1 on Mills’ RBI double down the left-field line. The Lady Bisons took the lead in the sixth on Katie Carney’s pinch-hit single down the right-field line, scoring Kimmy Slaughter for the 2-1 final.

In other GAC softball action Friday, Ouachita Baptist University (1628, 10-22 Great American Conference) was swept in a doubleheader by Northwestern Oklahoma State (15-29, 13-19 GAC) losing the first game 9-0 and the second game 8-5. Macy Wilson hit a three-run home run in the second game for the Tigers, who got a complete game from Marissa Butler in the loss. … Arkansas Tech University (29-15, 23-9 GAC) pitchers Jalissa Gum and Cara Tolar combined to allow 1 earned run in 20 innings as the Golden Suns swept a doubleheader over the

University of Arkansas at Monticello (28-14, 21-9 GAC), winning the first game 2-1 in 12 innings and the second game 1-0 in 8 innings.