ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - The Ouachita Tigers' softball team lost 3-1 to top-seeded Harding in the opening round of the 2017 Great American Conference Softball championships on Thursday afternoon in Bentonville, Ark. Kelsey O'Brien's RBI single in the sixth inning produce the lone run for Ouachita. Ouachita will now face East Central University in an elimination game later today. 

Harding took a 1-0 lead in the second inning and added two more runs in the bottom of the third inning. In the top of the sixth inning, pinch hitter Kelsey O'Brien hit a two-out single up the middle to score Stephanie McCann, cutting the lead to 3-1. Ouachita pitcher Marissa Butler allowed only one Harding base runner after the third inning, retiring 10-straight batters before allowing a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Tigers went down in order in the top of the seventh to end the game.

Teh Tigers will now face the #5-seed, East Central University. First pitch for that game is set for 6:00 p.m. today.