ARKADELPHIA – The Ouachita softball team picked up its tenth win of the season in a doubleheader split with the third-place Harding Bisons Saturday afternoon at Langston Field.
Game One: Harding 5, Ouachita 1
The first game of Saturday's twin bill saw Harding jump out to a 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning. Ouachita answered back with one run in the bottom of the first when
Lauren Lester reached on an error allowing Bailey King to score. The score stayed at 2-1 for the next five innings before the Bisons put together a three-run top of the seventh to push their lead to four. The Tigers got a runner on the bottom, but they were left on first and Ouachita fell in game two 5-1 and Harding took the series 2-0.
Tuesday Melton pitched a complete game in the circle, gave up just two earned runs and struck out two, but earned the loss. Four Tigers tallied hits in the loss.
Game Two: Ouachita 7, Harding 6
Hannah Hunter started the second half of Saturday's doubleheader strong, fanning the first three Harding batters to open the game. Ouachita kept the momentum going in the bottom of the first when an RBI single from Lester scored King to put Ouachita up 1-0. After a scoreless second frame, The Bisons plated three in the third to take a 3-1 lead.
The Tigers were quick to answer this time with a four-run bottom of the third.
Remington Adams doubled, scoring
Mackenzie Amaya and
Erin Williams to tie the game at 3-3. Two batters later,
Marli Huddleston hit an RBI single that scored Adams and
Katelyn Provence to give Ouachita a 5-3 lead after four. The Tigers tacked on a sixth run thanks to a King RBI double that scored
Kennedy Wilkie from second to push Ouachita's lead to three.
Harding tied the game back up thanks to two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to make it a 6-6 ballgame. But again, Ouachita was ready to answer in the sixth. After working a nine-pitch at bat, Lester drove in the go-ahead run in
Hope Johnson with an RBI single up the middle to put the Tigers ahead by one. The Bisons were able to put one runner on in the seventh, but she was left stranded, and Ouachita held on to secure the 7-6 victory over Harding to snap a six-game losing skid.
Lester put together a great performance at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two RBI.
Marli Huddleston tallied two hits and five other Tigers recorded hits in the victory. Huddleston and Adams each had two RBI to tie with Lester.
Hannah Hunter got the start and pitched four innings, striking out three.
Maggi Huddleston pitched three innings in relief and allowed just one run on two hits to earn her second win of the season I the circle.
The Tigers will look to keep the success going with a busy week ahead. Ouachita will head across the street to take on rival Henderson State in a series-deciding rubber match on Tuesday, April 9 before heading to Jackson, Tennessee to take on Union on Wednesday, April 10.
