ARKADELPHIA – Henderson State got a grand slam from Alexis Morton to break open the second game on Friday and defeat Northwestern Oklahoma, 8-0, to split the first doubleheader at Dee White Field.

Michelle Sorensen picked up her third win of the season in the 8-0 victory and her first win as the HSU starter this season. Sorensen allowed just two hits and struck out seven batters in five innings.

Kailey Reese was the only Reddie to have multi-hit performances in both halves of the double header, finishing the day 4-for-6 with three runs scored.

The Reddies (13-13, 7-7) and Lady Rangers will finish the series tomorrow, with first pitch of the second doubleheader scheduled for 12 p.m.

Game Two: Henderson State 8, Northwestern Oklahoma State, 0
After both teams went quietly in the first, the Reddies threatened early in the bottom of the second after Monreal was hit by the first pitch of the inning. With one on and nobody out, Cecily Rodriguez dropped a perfectly weighted bunt, and beat the throw, before Reese singled back up the box to load the bases.

With every base occupied, Alyssa Dixon slashed a single to left field, scoring Monreal and moving each runner around the horn. With the bases juiced and still nobody out, Morton blasted a deep fly to left center field, clearing the bases and giving HSU a 5-0 lead.

After two quick groundouts, the Reddies tacked on two more after back-to-back singles from Marcela Lopez and Abbie Moore. Monreal, who started the inning, put the ball in play, and an error from the Lady Rangers allowed Lopez to score from second to push the Reddies’ lead to 6-0.

Sorensen got into a bit of trouble in the top of the third while trying to provide a shutdown inning after HSU broke the game open. NWOSU led off the inning with an infield single, and two of the next three Lady Rangers’ batter worked walks, loading the bases with just one out. Sorensen came right back with a strikeout, however, before inducing a fly out to left field to keep NWOSU scoreless.

Following the escape act, the Henderson got all the runs it needed in the bottom of the third. Reese got things going when she singled up the middle on the first pitch of the inning, stole second, and advanced to third on a groundout.

Morton returned to the plate for the second time after blasting the grand slam. This time around, Morton would opt for small ball, and laid down a perfect bunt single which scored Reese and extended HSU’s advantage to 7-0.

After reaching on the bunt, Morton stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. Reigning GAC Freshman of the Week Ashlyn Taylor singled through the right side to score Morton moments later and made it 8-0 in Henderson’s favor.

Sorensen would allow just two more baserunners, as HSU run-ruled the Lady Rangers 8-0 in five innings.

Game Two: Northwestern Oklahoma State 6, Henderson State, 3 
Following a two-run home run in the second, and a solo shot in the top of the third, the Reddies trailed 3-0 before getting on the board in the first half of Friday’s doubleheader.

HSU got its first run of the weekend when Monreal sent a no-doubt shot over the left center field wall for her first career home run, which cut the Lady Rangers’ lead to 3-1.

After a quick fourth and fifth, HSU got things going again in the sixth. Moore singled through the right side before a Reese single gave HSU runners on the corners with two outs. Needing a run, Reese forced a rundown situation which allowed Brooklynn Jimeson, who was pinch-running for Moore, to score the game-tying run.

Both teams were unable to end it in the seventh as the game went to extra innings. NWOSU broke through in the eighth and capitalized to score three in the top half. Down 6-3, the Reddies could not rally for the second time and fell in the first contest of the day.

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ALVA, Okla.– Will Adler hit the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, capping a furious second-half comeback in a game that saw Arkansas Tech fall behind 13-0 in the opening minutes of the contest, as the Wonder Boys basketball team (6-12, 4-8 Great American Conference) downed Northwestern Oklahoma (5-13, 3-9) 74-72 on Saturday at Percefull Fieldhouse.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Northwestern Oklahoma raced out to a 13-0 lead over the first three minutes of the contest.
• Mason Cline broke the scoring drought with a 3-pointer at the 15:48 mark.
• The Wonder Boys pulled to within nine (15-6) with 14:59 remaining in the half on another Cline 3-pointer, but NWOSU again pushed its advantage into double figures.
• NWOSU stretched its lead to as many as 15 (36-21) at the 3:44 mark of the second half and went into the half with a 11-point (43-32) advantage.
• An Alex Brown layup with 17:06 to play brought Tech within single digits (44-35) for the first time since the opening minutes of the contest.
• Tech chipped away at the Rangers lead and pulled to within one (59-58) on an RJ Glasper layup with 7:15 to play.
• After a timeout, Will Adler gave Tech its first lead of the day (61-59) on a 3-pointer with 7:07 to play.
• A pair of NWOSU free-throws at the 6:06 mark tied the game at 61-61.
• Tech stretched its lead to four (65-61) on a pair of free-throws by Mason Cline with just over five minutes to play.
• NWOSU reclaimed the lead (66-65) at the 4:09 mark on a layup by A.J. Jones.
• The Rangers extended the lead to three on a Broshon Bryant jumper with 1:55 to play, but Glasper knotted the game at 68-68 with 1:43 to play with a long 3-pointer.
• NWOSU reclaimed the lead 70-68 on the next possession on an Eric Andres layup. A subsequent free-throw pushed NWOSU’s lead to three (71-68) going into the final minute.
• Adler buried a corner 3-pointer with 41.1 seconds to play to knot the game at 71-71.
• NWOSU’s Bryce Cashman was sent to the line with 15 seconds left to put the Rangers ahead, and split a pair of free throws to give NWOSU a 72-71 lead, giving Tech an opportunity to set up Adler’s game-winning shot.

NOTABLES

• Mason Cline scored 17 of Tech’s 32 first-half points.
• NWOSU rolled to a 43-32 halftime lead on the strength of 72.7 percent shooting in the opening half. However, Tech’s defense was able to slow the Rangers in the second half to a 38.5 percent clip.
• Tech connected on 14 of 37 3-point attempts and held a 35-32 rebounding edge.
• Tech forced 13 NWOSU turnovers.
• NWOSU held a 32-18 advantage in points in the paint, while the Wonder Boys held a 12-6 advantage in points off turnovers.

NEXT UP

• The Wonder Boys will return to action on Thursday, Jan. 31, hosting East Central at Tucker Coliseum. A 7:30 p.m. tip-off is scheduled.

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SEARCY – Sophomore quarterback Preston Paden scored three of Harding’s five rushing touchdowns, and the Bisons held Northwestern Oklahoma to only 47 rushing yards in a 38-7 Homecoming victory over the Rangers Saturday at First Security Stadium.

No. 24 Harding moved to 6-2 overall and in the Great American Conference with its sixth straight home victory against Northwestern, who fell to 3-5 overall and in the GAC. The Rangers had allowed only seven points in winning their last two games.

Paden had two rushing touchdowns in the first half ending drives that began in Northwestern territory. He scored a 4-yard touchdown with 8:57 left in the first quarter on a drive set up by Frank Herbert’s 26-yard punt return.

Harding’s second scoring drive started at the Northwestern 33. Devyn Comer and Chris Wein sacked Northwestern quarterback Cesar De Leon at the 5. Daylon Markhamfielded the ensuing punt at the 38 and returned it 5 yards. It took the Bisons six plays to go 33 yards, and Paden ended the drive with a 3-yard run.

Harding’s final points of the half came on a 41-yard Cameron Scott field goal with 3:51 left.

The Bisons had three long scoring drives in the second half. A 5-play, 78-yard drive that opened the second half resulted in Paden’s third touchdown, coming from 1 yard out.

Sophomore Cole Chancey scored a 6-yard touchdown to punctuate an 8-play, 65-yard drive midway through the third quarter, and sophomore Romar Reades’ 4-yard touchdown run ended a 10-play drive that covered 63 yards early in the fourth quarter.

Northwestern’s only touchdown came with 5:16 left in the game. Kentrez Bell caught a pass over the middle from quarterback Cesar De Leon. Harding defensive back Daylon Markham knocked the ball loose at the 2-yard line, but officials ruled that Bell recovered the fumble in the end zone despite Harding’s Tony Becton emerging with the ball.

Harding plays its final regular season road game next Saturday against East Central in Ada, Oklahoma. Kickoff at Koi Ishto Stadium is at 4 p.m.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Harding rushed for 334 yards and limited Northwestern to 47. Northwestern entered the game averaging 165.1 rushing yards per game.
• Harding outgained Northwestern 409-245 overall, the fourth time in the last five games that the Bisons surpassed 400 total yards.
• Harding had an almost 15-minute time-of-possession advantage. The Bisons had the ball for 36 minutes, 58 seconds. Northwestern had the ball 23:02 and ran only 48 plays.
• Harding was 8-of-12 on third down, the Bisons’ most third-down conversions of the season. Northwestern was 3-of-11.
• Sophomore Taylor Bissell led Harding in both rushing yards (82) and receiving yards (42). He has 251 all-purpose yards in the last two games.
• Harding defensive end T.J. Winslow had a team-high five tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In four career games against Northwestern, Winslow has 14 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
• Paden scored three rushing TD in a game for the first time in his career and became the first Bison this season to score three TD in a game.
• Harding has now outscored its opponents 90-7 in the first quarter of games this season.
• Cole Chancey had 72 rushing yards and moved past Chris Gilliam (1,876, 1994-97) into 10th place on Harding’s career rushing list with 1,877 yards.
• Chancey tied Terrence Dingle (2015-17) for sixth in career rushing TD with his 21st.

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ALVA, Okla. – The Harding volleyball team had a season-high 19 team blocks as it defeated Northwestern Oklahoma 3-1 (25-15, 22-25, 25-16, 25-20) Saturday in Great American Conference action.

The Lady Bisons improve to 13-7 overall and 8-1 in the GAC.

Northwestern Oklahoma falls to 15-9 overall and 4-1 in the GAC.

FIRST SET

Leading 17-13 in the first set, Harding went on a 7-2 run to win the set 25-15. The Lady Bisons held Northwestern Oklahoma to hitting .073 in the set.

SECOND SET

With the second set tied at 16, Northwestern Oklahoma went on a 7-1 run to lead 23-17. Harding pulled within one 23-22 after a 5-0 run and then after two Lady Bison attack errors the Rangers won the set 25-22. Northwestern Oklahoma had 16 kills in the set.

THIRD SET

Harding jumped out to a 13-6 lead in the third set and went on to win the set 25-16. Harding had 13 kills and hit .379.

FOURTH SET

Trailing 14-10 in the fourth set, Harding went on a 15-6 run to win the set 25-20. The Lady Bisons forced nine attack errors in the fourth set.

STATS

Harding

–          Zoe Hardin led Harding with 14 kills and seven blocks.

–          Emma Reeves had 11 kills, no attack errors and hit .423. She also had five blocks.
–          Annesly Young had a career-high nine blocks in two sets.

–          Taylor Lake had 28 digs.

Northwestern Oklahoma

–          Kiauna Clark led Northwestern Oklahoma with 15 kills.

–          Tobi Barker led the defense with 12 digs.

UP NEXT

Harding will play its final non-conference match of the season Tuesday at home against Lyon. First serve is at 6 p.m.

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