ARKADELPHIA — The Ouachita softball team lost its series opener Friday afternoon, falling 4-2 to No. 14 Oklahoma Baptist at Langston Field.

With two outs in the opening frame and a runner in scoring position, senior Ally Ryan ripped a liner up the middle and sophomore Kayle Cook slid in safely just before the tag at the plate to give the Bison an early lead. Oklahoma Baptist added another run in the second as freshman Jessi Hull hammered her first collegiate homer deep to right-center. 

Ouachita (8-17, 5-8 GAC) was held in check through the first three frames before breaking through in the fourth. Freshman Addison Davidson led the inning with a deep single off the left field wall, then senior Jessalyn Ahrens beat out an infield single to put two runners on with no outs. Both runners advanced after junior Jordyn Merrett hit a sacrifice fly to center field, which allowed Davidson to score from third when the throw from the outfield was cut off. 

Oklahoma Baptist senior slugger Greenlee Wells delivered the decisive blow, leading off the sixth with a towering homer over the centerfield wall to increase her league-leading total to 16. Ouachita answered in the bottom half of the sixth as Davidson drilled a solo shot well beyond the left field wall to cut the deficit to 4-2. Davidson scored both runs and finished 2-for-3 with her second career homer. The Tigers left six runners on base in the series opener loss, while the Bison (27-4, 13-0 GAC) pieced together 11 hits and never trailed to stay unbeaten in Great American Conference action. 

Ouachita will look to snap its eight-game skid this weekend in a doubleheader against the nationally ranked Bison. First pitch is scheduled for noon on Saturday at Langston Field.