ARKADELPHIA – The Ouachita Baptist University softball team came back from down 6-1 to beat No. 24 Harding on Saturday at home by a final score of 7-6 to salvage one win in the three-game series.

The Bisons (15-6, 4-2 GAC) took a quick lead with back-to-back solo homeruns in the first two at bats of the game. Harding later went up 4-0 with two runs in the third.

Ouachita (5-14, 1-5 GAC) got on the board in the bottom of the third on an RBI double from Jillian Jones.

Harding responded with two more runs in the top of the fourth to take a 6-1 lead.

It was all Ouachita from that point. The Tigers scored two in the fourth on a solo homerun by Lacy Ornelas and an RBI double by Heather Brown, and then tied the game with three runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run double by Brown.

After holding the Bisons scoreless in the top of the seventh, Ouachita needed one run to avoid the sweep. Jessalyn Ahrens led off the inning with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ornelas, and moved to third on a groundout, setting up Ouachita's leading hitter Hope Waid with a game-winning opportunity. Waid hit a hard ground ball up the middle, fielded by Harding's second baseman, but too deep in the hole to retire the speedy Waid, allowing Ahrens to score from the third to end the game.

Ouachita outhit Harding 11-9 in the win, led by Brown's 3-for-4 game. Jones finished 2-for-4.

Nikki Schneider earned her first win of the season, keeping the Bisons scoreless in the final four innings and giving up only two hits.

The Tigers are back in action on Tuesday at home against cross-street rival Henderson State for a conference double header starting at 3 p.m.