CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Harding softball team dropped a non-conference doubleheader at Delta State Tuesday. The Lady Bisons fell 3-0 in the first game and fell in a walkoff 9-8 in the second game.

In game two, Peyton Mills hit her 28th career home run to tie the school record and Kyndal Pirtle tied a school record for most hits in a game when she went 5-for-5.

Harding falls to 13-11 overall.

Delta State improves to 16-9 overall.

Game One Key Innings (Delta State 3, Harding 0)

–         Delta State scored two on two hits and a Harding error in the bottom of the first inning. Jordan Jones doubled in a run and Kelly Byrd scored on an error.

–         The Lady Statesmen added another run in the third when Kelly Byrd hit a solo home run.

Game One Key Statistics

–         Each team had four hits.

–         Delta State was led by Kelly Byrd who went 2-for-2.

–         Nicole Fullilove got the win for Delta State to improve to 8-6. She threw the complete game shutout and had five strikeouts.

–         Emma Dwyer received the loss and falls to 2-4. She went six innings, gave up two earned runs and had three strikeouts.

Game Two Key Innings (Delta State 9, Harding 8)

–         Delta State got things started in the second when Kailyn Lofton hit a two-run home run to center field.

–         Harding got on the board in the third when Peyton Mills singled in a run. The Lady Bisons added another run when Amanda Fields reached on a fielder’s choice in which Kyndal Pirtle scored.

–         The Lady Statesmen had a three-run home run by Jordan Jones in the third inning to make it a 5-2 game.

–         Kyndal Pirtle hit her third single of the game in the fourth inning which drove in Lauren Bazan. Lindsey Duncan also scored in the inning on a wild pitch.

–         Harding added two runs on back-to-back solo home runs by Peyton Mills and Amanda Fields.  Peyton Mills led off the inning with a solo home run. It was the 28th in her career which ties her with Amanda Berdon and Kimmy Hendricks. It was Mills second home run of the season and it was Fields fourth.

–         Mary Mills Lochala drew a walk with the bases loaded in the sixth to make it 7-5.

–         Kelly Byrd doubled in a run for Delta State in the sixth to pull the Lady Statesmen to within one, 7-6.

–         Harding added another run in the seventh when Hanna Jones reached on an error and Kiley Persons scored on the play. Kyndal Pirtle had her fifth hit in the game when she singled to left field.

–         With the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, Kelly Byrd tied the game when she singled to right field. The next batter Jordan Jones drove in the winning run from third when she singled to left center.

Game Two Key Statistics

–         Harding had 12 hits in the game and left 10 runners on base.

–         Delta State had eight hits, three by Kelly Byrd.

–         It was only the second time a Harding player has had five hits in a game. Courtney Derrick had six hits against Henderson State in 2016.

–         Emily Baker got her first win of the season for Delta State. She pitched 1/3 of an inning and had one strikeout.

–         Pyper James received the loss and falls to 3-3 on the season.

Next Up

–          Harding will be back in action this weekend when it hosts Oklahoma Baptist in Great American Conference action. The four-game series is scheduled to begin Friday at 2 p.m.

The post Pirtle and Mills tie school records but Harding falls at Delta State appeared first on ArkansasSports.Net.

JACKSON, Tenn. – The 17th-ranked Harding softball team swept Union in nonconference action Wednesday. The Lady Bisons won 3-1 and 11-1 in five innings. Peyton Mills hit two home runs in game two.

Harding improves to 20-6 overall and Union falls to 9-15 overall..

Game One Key Innings (Harding 3, Union 1) 

– Harding scored its first run in the third when Briley Feringa hit a double to left field that scored Katlyn Gordon from second.

– Union tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Gabby Morris reached on a fielder’s choice with runners at first and third. Sarah Smith scored on the play.

– The Lady Bisons broke the tie in the sixth when Hannah Fisher hit a leadoff solo home run to left field. It was her first collegiate home run.

– Harding tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Mason McCord hit a double down the left field line that scored Madison Leggett from second.

Game One Key Statistics 

– Harding had eight hits with Hannah Fisher leading the way with two.

– Union had five hits with Sarah Smith and Peyton Mathis each having two.

–  Katlyn Gordon had two stolen bases.

–  Amanda Berry got the win for the Lady Bisons and moves to 7-2 on the season. She pitched five innings, gave up one earned run and struck out three.

–  Emma Dwyer picked up the save, her second of the season. She pitched two innings and didn’t give up a hit against seven batters.

– Gabby Morris received the loss and falls to 6-6 for Union. She pitched four innings of relief and gave up two earned runs and struck out five.

Game Two Key Innings (Harding 11, Union 1 – 5 Innings)

–  Peyton Mills got things started for Harding in the first with a solo home run to right field. It was her sixth of the season.

– The Lady Bisons blew the game wide open in the second scoring nine runs on three hits and three Union errors. Katlyn Gordonhighlighted the inning with a three-run home run to left field. It was her second of the season. Peyton Mills, the next batter, hit a solo home run to center field for her seventh home run of the season. Kayla Anderson, Hannah Fisher and Kyndal Pirtle all picked up a RBI with each walking with the bases loaded.

– Union scored its run in the third when Haley Barnette reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Samantha McDaniel.

–  Hannah Fisher picked up her second RBI of the game when she singled in Madison Leggett from second in the fourth inning.

Game Two Key Statistics

– Harding had seven hits with Peyton Mills going 3-for-4. It was the first time in her career Mills has hit two home runs in a game.

–  Katie Carney and Madison Leggett each scored two runs for the Lady Bisons.

– Union had four hits by four different players.

– Each team had three errors in the game.

–  Emily Garrett got the win for Harding and improves to 6-2 on the season. She pitched the complete game, didn’t give up an earned run and struck out two.

– Taylor Griffith received the loss for Union.

Up Next 

– Harding will be back in action this Friday and Saturday when it hosts Southern Nazarene in Great American Conference action. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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