SEARCY, Ark.-Host harding swept a doubleheader from the Christian Brothers University Lady Bucs Saturday, winning 9-1 and 18-8 in the season opener for both schools.
GAME 1:WHAT HAPPENED:Harding scored in five of the game's six innings, including two runs four times, as they claimed a 9-1 win.
HOW IT HAPPENED:• Harding (2-0) scored all the runs it would need in the first inning when Amanda Berdon hit a two-run double.
• HU scored one run in the second and two more in the third, fifth and sixth innings.
• CBU (0-2) scored its lone run of the game in the top of the sixth.
Holly Oyhenart (Menifee, Calif./Paloma Valley HS) reached on a two-base throwing error and moved to third on a
Jennifer Gonzalez (Covina, Calif./Charter Oak HS) groundout. She came home on another throwing error.
KEY STATS:•
Leigh Ward (Oriental, N.C./Pamlico HS) went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases in her CBU debut.
Amy Gracia (Fontana, Calif./International Polytechnic HS) drew a walk.
GAME 2:WHAT HAPPENED:Harding scored multiple runs in all four innings as they won 18-8 in the nightcap.
HOW IT HAPPENED:• The Lady Bucs struck first in the top of the first inning. Gonzalez was hit by the first pitch of the game and moved to third on a pair of sacrifice bunts.
Gabrielle Sereika (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas Institute) walked, and
Taylor Rosa-Ramon (Ewa Beach, Hawaii/James Campbell HS) was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Tiari-Jay Fernandez (Mililani, Hawaii/Mililani HS) drew a bases-loaded walk to put CBU on the board, and
Lauren Provence (Millington, Tenn./Briarcrest Christian HS) hit a two-run single to right to give CBU a 3-0 lead.
• Harding used a walk, a single and a double to plate two runs in the bottom of the first.
• CBU extended its lead in the top of the second inning. Oyhenart and Gonzalez singled to start the inning, and an
Ali Hare (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida Baker HS) groundout scored Oyhenart. Rosa-Ramon singled Gonzalez home to give CBU a 5-2 edge.
• Harding answered with five runs in the bottom of the second on five hits, two walks and an error, taking a 7-5 lead.
• CBU pulled within a run in the top of the third inning.
Amy Gracia (Fontana, Calif./International Polytechnic HS) reached on an error, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Ward single.
• Harding blew the game open in the bottom of the third with nine runs on nine hits, three errors and a walk, taking a 16-6 lead. HU added two more in the fourth inning on two errors and a triple.
• CBU scored two in the top of the fifth to set the final margin. Gonzalez and Ward started the inning with a pair of infield singles. Sereika and Rosa-Ramon followed with one-out RBI singles to cut the deficit to 18-8.
KEY STATS:• Rosa-Ramon went 3-for-3 with two RBI's.
• Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with two runs.
• Fernandez went 2-for-3.
• Provence drove in a pair of runs.
WHAT'S NEXT:• CBU heads to Arkadelphia, Ark., next weekend for the OBU/HSU Ronnie Hawkins Invitational. Saturday, they face Henderson State at 9 a.m. and Lincoln (Mo.) at 3 p.m., both at HSU. Sunday they play Arkansas-Monticello at noon and Ouachita Baptist at 4 p.m., both at OBU.
• CBU's home opener is Friday, Feb. 13, when they play a doubleheader at noon against Evangel (Mo.).
