ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State falls in the doubleheader against No. 20 Harding at Dee White Field. The Reddies will face the Lady Bisons in game three on Sunday at 12 p.m. to conclude the series.
Brooke Johnson started game one in the circle and went 4.0 innings and allowed three runs on four hits and had three strikeouts. At the plate, the sophomore was 2-6 over the two games with a home run and two RBIs.
Kaitlyn O'Quinn finished the first game with two hits and a stolen base and zero strikeouts.
GAME ONE: HU 6, HSU 0
The Reddies' defense was put under pressure early by the Harding offense, who was aggressive on the base path with five stolen bases in the first four innings. Similarly, the Henderson offense came out aggressively, swinging on the first pitch they saw in frames one and two.
Henderson threatened early in the bottom of the first after
Kaitlyn O'Quinn reached first on a single and advanced to second to get into scoring position. Harding's pitcher escaped the inning without any damage, leaving O'Quinn stranded after back-to-back outs.
The Lady Bisons took control in the fourth and fifth innings, putting up crooked numbers to go ahead. Two hits by Harding in the fourth scored three runs, and HU followed that with three more runs on three hits in the top of the fifth to double its advantage to 6-0.
GAME TWO: HU 8, HSU 3
Harding continued to be aggressive on the base path in game two with three stolen bases in the first frame and would capitalize with two early runs to start the contest. The Lady Bisons' lead would only last minutes as
Justine Burch doubled off the wall in right field before Johnson hit a two-run home run over the left field wall to tie the game 2-2.
Meagan Allen gave the Reddies a clean inning in the second frame after allowing two runners to reach but stranded the pair to keep Harding off the scoreboard. Allen turned the ball over to
Presley Applegate for the next 4.1 innings after going 2.0 innings. Applegate locked down the HU bats, giving HSU four scoreless frames and punching out five batters.
Henderson took the lead in the bottom of the third off the bat of
Abbie Moore, who hit the second home run of the day to give the Reddies their first lead of the series, 3-2. HSU led for most of the game as the Lady Bison's offense struggled to get anything going against Applegate in the circle.
Into the top of the seventh, Henderson got a lead-off ground out and was just two outs away from forcing a rubber match, but the Lady Bisons had other thoughts. Harding strung together a pair of hits before a three-run shot put the Lady Bisons ahead 5-3. HU added on three more runs after hitting a second three-run home run.
