Henderson ends softball season with loss to Harding

BENTONVILLE — Henderson State hung with Harding for three innings Friday night in the 2018 Great American Conference Softball Championships tournament at the Tiger Athletic Complex, but the Lady Bisons broke the game open late to eliminate the Reddies.

The score was tied, 1-1, entering the top of the fourth inning before the No. 6 seed Lady Bisons (32-25, 22-22) scored three runs. Amanda Fields, Hannah Fisher and Kyndal Pirtle all

produced run-scoring singles in the fourth. An inning later, Katlyn Gordon chased home Briley Feringa and Madison Leggett with a two-out single.

Henderson (33-25, 24-20) advanced to its second elimination game on Friday after defeating eighth-seeded East Central (23-30-1, 18-23-1), 5-1, earlier in the day thanks to a 61-pitch, five-hit complete game from senior Sydney Bonner (13-13), from Sheridan. Bonner took the loss against Harding after allowing the first four runs of the contest.

Harding opened the game with back-to-back doubles for a quick 1-0 lead.

Senior shortstop Bethany Allen, from Mineral Wells, Texas, reached base in the bottom half of the inning on a single up the middle. Freshman second baseman Lindsey Williams, of Conway, reached base on an error to give Henderson runners on second and third with no outs.

Freshman center fielder Madie Green, of Timber Creek High School in Keller, Texas, laid down a squeeze bunt to allow Allen to tie the game at 1-1.

The Reddies got one run back in the sixth inning on a deep home run by senior first baseman Alexia Lopez, from Odessa, Texas. She was one of five seniors to play her final game for Henderson. Lopez finished the season with a .295 average, ranked second on the team with 21 RBIs and was fourth on the team with eight doubles.

Bonner led the Reddies in wins, appearances, innings and strikeouts. She had a 3.59 ERA with 55 strikeouts and 34 walks in 165-plus innings over 32 appearances, including 27 starts and 16 complete games.

Allen led Henderson with a

2-for-4 effort at the plate. She finished the season tied for the team lead in batting average at .368 and doubles with 11. She ranked second on the team with 34 runs and third in RBIs with 23.

Catcher Courtney Warren, of Midland High School in Texas, hit a double in her final collegiate at-bat. She had a .295 batting average, six doubles, two home runs and 15 RBIs.

Olivia Trapp, from Yorba Linda, Calif., picked up a hit in her only at-bat of the game. She hit for a .245 average and played in 49 of the team’s games this season with

30 starts.

Harding advanced to face top-seeded Southern Arkansas

(52-8, 38-6), ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division II Central region, on Saturday. The Muleriders were upset, 5-4, in the second round by No. 5 seed Southern Nazarene (26-27-1,

20-18-1), which defeated Henderson, 2-1, on Wednesday. The Lady Bisons were eliminated,

1-0, by Southern Arkansas. No. 2 seed Arkansas Tech

(42-17, 30-14), ranked No. 5 in the Central region, defeated Southern Nazarene, 6-0, on Saturday to remain undefeated in the tournament. Southern Arkansas and Southern Nazarene faced off again Saturday in an elimination game.