SEARCY, Ark. - Two of the top teams in the country squared off on Friday afternoon in Central Arkansas and No. 3 Harding used timely hitting in both games that saw quality pitching from each side to take a pair of seven-inning contests from No. 7 Southern Arkansas and in the process increased their lead in the Great American Conference standings. The Lady Muleriders suffered a 4-0 defeat in the series opener and a 2-1 setback in game 2.

TEAM RECORDS
No. 3 Harding (40-4, 30-2 GAC)
No. 7 Southern Arkansas (35-9, 25-7 GAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS - GAME 1
W: Hannah Johnson (19-2)
L: Kaylee Garner (16-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME 1

• SAU threatened early as Brooke Goad (BB) and Maddie Dow (HBP) reached to put runners at first and second with no outs in the top of the first inning, but Harding settled in and retired the next three Lady Muleriders to end the threat.
• Southern Arkansas stranded six runners through the first five innings, while the Lady Bisons left three runners on through their first four innings at the plate, before a four-run fifth inning broke open the pitching duel.
• Harding plated their four runs on three hits and a pair of SAU fielding errors. After scratching a single run, the Lady Bisons benefited from a two-out, three-run home run by Peyton Mills.
• Trailing by four with six outs to work with, the Lady Muleriders would manage just a single hit in the sixth and seventh innings combined as they dropped the series opener, 4-0.

IN THE CIRCLE

• Garner suffered her first loss of the season as she pitched six complete innings in scattering five hits, while striking out five and giving up just one earned run. 
• Garner held Harding to just a pair of hits through the first four innings of play, before allowing a leadoff triple to start the fifth inning that sparked the Lady Bisons offense. 
• Johnson went the distance for Harding to improve to 19-2 on the season as she gave up just three hits, three walks and a hit-by-pitch in a two-strikeout effort. 

AT THE PLATE

• Megan Godoyo, Tyler Casada, and Monica Islava each collected a hit, while Goad walked twice.

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PITCHING DECISION - GAME 2
W: Autumn Humes (20-1)
L: Victoria Taylor (15-5)

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME 2

• Harding plated a run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI-double from the bat of Peyton Mills.
• Southern Arkansas would score their first run of the afternoon in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly from Casada that chased home pinch runner Chloe Hicks. Until that run-scoring fourth inning, SAU had managed just a pair of hits; stranding both runners. 
• SAU starter Victoria Taylor stranded a Harding base runner in scoring position in both the fourth and fifth innings, before the Lady Bisons pushed across the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-out RBI single by pinch hitter Katie Carney that sent SAU to their final at-bat trailing by a run. 
• The Lady Muleriders received a leadoff single from Marina Duran in the seventh, and moved her pinch runner in Taylor Stricklin to second on a sacrifice bunt from Rachel Miller, before Humes induced a fly-out and a dealt a strikeout to end the SAU threat. 

IN THE CIRCLE

• Taylor pitched 5.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits, while striking out nine batters. Taylor's record drops to 15-5 on the season.
• Jill Roye tossed the final third of an inning after Harding scratched the go-ahead run off of Taylor with two outs in the sixth.
• Humes picked up her 20th win for the Lady Bisons as she went  the distance scattering seven hits, while fanning a dozen. 

AT THE PLATE

• Duran collected two of SAU's seven hits, while Goad, Godoyo, Roye and Monica Islava accounted for a hit apiece. 
• Casada collected SAU's lone RBI of the afternoon on the aforementioned sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. 
• Derrick led Harding with two hits, while Mills and Carney collected the RBIs.

UP NEXT

• Southern Arkansas and Harding conclude the series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. For live links, click here.