WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The Bulldogs committed nine errors en route to dropping the first of two doubleheaders against the Harding Lady Bisons in Weatherford. The first game ended in a 10-2 victory for Harding after five innings, while SWOSU fell 12-6 in the second game.
Game 1: HU 10, SWOSU 2 (5 Inn.)Box Score Harding jumped out to a quick lead in Game 1 of the doubleheader. After walking in two runs, a fielding error by SWOSU allowed the Lady Bisons to carry a 3-0 lead through the first inning.
SWOSU pulled two runs back in the second.
Kendall Smith first hit a sacrifice fly to left field that brought in
Tori Hawk.
Cheyenne Trotter followed that up with a single up the middle that brought
Samantha Perry home from third base and make the game a 3-2 affair.
Though both teams were held scoreless in the third inning, it was Harding that found their offense again in the top of the fourth. HU exploded for five runs in the fourth inning to push their lead to 8-2, capitalizing on an additional two errors by the Bulldogs. The Lady Bisons tacked on an additional two runs in the fifth to make it 10-2. SWOSU was held without a run in the final three innings of the game, falling via run rule 10-2.
Rileigh Ricken got the start in the circle going 3.2 innings and giving up eight runs on four hits, though only three were earned. She was saddled with her team-high 10th loss of the season. Perry led the way offensively, going 1-2 at the plate with one run scored.
Game 2: HU 12, SWOSU 6Box Score Like in the first game of the day, Harding was able to score two quick runs in the first. However, SWOSU was able to provide an answer to HU's opening salvo, scoring five runs in the bottom of the inning.
With the bases loaded,
Ashley Dunigan stepped up to the plate and drilled a single between Harding's first and second basemen that plated both
Miranda McDonald and Hawk. Then, with Dunigan and
Adrienne Martinez on base,
Ashley Jones sent the ball over the right centerfield fence for a 3-run home run despite a heavy wind blowing into the field. SWOSU would end the inning up 5-2.
Unfortunately, Harding's offense kept rolling throughout most of the game. The Lady Bisons scored two runs in the second to cut the lead to 5-4. They then took the lead in the top of the third with a 3-run inning that pushed the score back in their favor at 7-5. Harding put an additional two runs on the board in the fourth before both teams went without a run in the fifth with the visitors up 9-5.
The Bulldogs finally found some more offense in the bottom of the sixth after Harding made the score 11-5.
Ashley Filer got into scoring position after hitting a double to right centerfield.
Kaity Rash then hit a single that brought Filer around to home to reduce the lead to 11-6. It would prove to be the final run for SWOSU for the opening day as Harding put one more run on the board in the top of the seventh and then shutout the Bulldogs in the final half inning.
Molly Vivo started in the second game, giving up 10 hits and nine runs on the way to her eighth loss of the year. Jones and Dunigan both had good outings at the plate, going 1-3 and 2-4 respectively with one run each and five combined RBI. SWOSU committed six errors in the loss.
The losses dropped the Bulldogs to 1-17 in conference play. SWOSU will close out the series tomorrow with a second doubleheader beginning at 12 pm at the Athletic Complex.
