SEARCY, Arkansas – Game one of the three-game weekend started out tight, but five runs in two innings from Harding was too much to overcome as Henderson State fell in the series-opener against the Lady Bisons in Searcy, 9-4.
 
Both Crysta Larey and Justine Burch each claimed two hits on the afternoon as Burch logged her third consecutive multi-hit game. In addition to going 2-for-3 at the plate, Burch also registered two RBIs.
 
After a quick top of the first inning, the Lady Bisons came out of the gate swinging, claiming four hits and four runs before the game's first six outs were registered. Henderson was able to respond to the unfortunate start with four runs of its own in its second at-bat, sparked by a double from Erika Bittinger to score Monica Monreal, who was walked just three batters earlier.
 
Larey and Burch then came to the plate and delivered back-to-back singles to score the additional three runs to tie the game at 4-all. The multi-run inning led the Reddie defense to hold up, allowing no hits in the bottom of the second to keep the score at a tie.
 
Both pitchers continued to work from within the circle with neither team seeing a single run through the following two and a half innings. Harding broke the scoring drought, and the tied game, with three runs in the bottom of the fifth that brought the tally to 7-4.
 
Henderson's offense was stymied yet again in the sixth as the Reddies were unable to respond to the Lady Bisons' scoring barrage as in the initial situation. Harding added another two runs in the bottom of the sixth, bringing HSU to the plate in the top of the seventh with one final chance to extend play. That chance did not come, unfortunately, as HU came away with the 9-4 game-one victory.
 
Henderson St. (5-19, 3-6) will return to the Harding Softball Field for a doubleheader tomorrow against the Lady Bisons beginning at 12 p.m. with the third and final game to follow.