SEARCY, Arkansas – Henderson State suffered a pair of one-run losses at the hands of the Harding Lady Bisons Sunday afternoon in Searcy, Arkansas, 3-2 and 4-3. The second game of the day had eight innings in store for the home crowd at the Harding Softball Field.
 
Brooke Johnson went 4-for-8 at the plate on the day, while Monica Monreal went 3-for-7 with three RBIs. Both Johnson and Monreal also pitched complete games, with Monreal taking the circle in the opening contest while Johnson closed out the day with the eight-inning outing.
 
Henderson St. (5-21, 3-8) will take a break from conference play when it hosts Union University for a mid-week doubleheader Wednesday, March 16 beginning at 2 p.m.
 
Game 1: Harding 3, Henderson State 2
Monica Monreal pitched a full six innings in game one of the day's doubleheader in only her second start of the year, getting things started with a quick four-batter inning in the Lady Bisons' first at-bat after Henderson was forced to strand three base runners off just one hit and a pair of walkers.
 
After Harding scored the game's first run in the bottom of the second, HSU was able to strand a pair of Lady Bisons runners, allowing the Reddies two hits while taking advantage of two HU errors to plate Lexi Trejo. Henderson was left wanting more, however, with pinch-runner Kenzie Stotts getting tagged out at home moments later to keep play knotted up, 1-1.
 
Monreal did not allow a hit in the bottom of the third, working three up, three down, but after HSU came up empty in the top of the fourth, the Lady Bisons added a run to break the tie before scoring another run in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead, while HSU was left with the one run.
 
Henderson cut into the 3-1 deficit slightly in the top of the sixth as freshman Jordyn Holland claimed the run off an HU wild pitch. With Abbie Moore sending a single through the left side on the ensuing at-bat, she was left on an island as the short-lived rally was stalled at 3-2.
 
With Monreal able to keep the Lady Bisons at bay in the bottom of the sixth, a run was not to be found by the Reddies in their final at-bat as HU escaped with the narrow 3-2 victory in game one of the day's doubleheader.
 
Game 2: Harding 4, Henderson State 3
The Lady Bisons came out fast in the final game of the weekend series, seeing two runs in the first inning. That lead would be maintained until the top of the third when Monreal flexed her batting muscle, sending a single through the right side to score Moore to bring the tally to 2-1.
 
Harding responded to the Reddies' lone run with a solo run of its own to reestablish the two-run lead, 3-1. The score remained unchanged until the sixth when HSU began another sixth-inning comeback when Erika Bittinger brought home Bre Jones with a two-out bases-loaded single to the shortstop. Bittinger and the two other Reddies were stranded on next at-bat, however, as HU held onto its 3-2 lead.
 
With the Lady Bisons unable to add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, HSU was faced with the exact same situation as it was the first game – needing a run in the top of the seventh to extend play. Thanks to a single from Moore, followed by a double from Johnson, Henderson got that run, knotting things up at 3-3.
 
A quick three up, three down from the HSU defense sent play into extra innings. To the visitor's misfortune, the additional playing time was not to be enjoyed long as Harding kept the Reddies scoreless in the top of the eighth only to hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the inning to seize the 4-3 nail-biter.