The Lady Bisons softball team swept Oklahoma Baptist at home over the weekend, March 18-19, improving their record to 25-3, the best the team has seen since its rebirth in 2014. The series left Harding with a 17-straight win streak and six straight shutout games.
With the win of a double header on Sunday against GAC competition Oklahoma Baptist, Harding has held its opponents scoreless in the last 36 innings (six games). These wins also moved them up from being ranked No. 16 to No. 11 in the nation.
“Coming into the season humble and being ranked has been a huge thing for us,” sophomore shortstop Alexus Lawellin said. “It’s been exciting.”
Harding’s win streak of 17 straight started back on Feb. 24. The Lady Bisons won 8-0 in five innings and went 3-0 on Sunday. This is the third straight series Harding has won all four of the games.
“I have seen major improvement in the team,” sophomore outfielder Peyton Mills said. “We have used all fall and the beginning of this season to get stronger, faster and prepare for the season ahead of us.”
The now 11th-ranked Lady Bisons are quietly making history with freshman pitcher Autumn Humes named GAC softball pitcher of the week, while pitching a perfect game, improving to 11-1 on the season, and picking up her sixth shutout of the season.
On Saturday, Humes gave up two hits, walked two and struck out six; This represented the first perfect game in program history. The Lady Bisons’ season started off strong and has continued to clinch victories, with the team win streak and shut-outs. Lawellin’s 15 game hitting streak is included in the list. But the Lady Bisons have remained, at the core, focused on the team and not the stats.
“I know the seniors on this team have worked extremely hard to be the players and leaders we needed to be in order to help this team grow,” senior catcher Kimmy Hendricks-Campbell said. “It’s awesome to see it all come together as we’ve gained great players and built off the foundation we all began four years ago.”
Lawellin said although they look at the season one game at a time, they are looking forward to the future.
“Committing to the process is one of our team goals this season,” Hendricks-Campbell said. “If we’re able to take one day at a time, we will end up where we want to be.”
Senior pitcher Hannah Johnson improved to 13-1 when pitching in their first game on Sunday. She threw the complete game shutout for Harding, giving up four hits and having one strikeout against 20 batters.
“My favorite thing about this team is we are not a serious group of girls; when it’s time to play we are focused, but bus rides and our pre-game routines are all light hearted and fun,” Johnson said. “I think that is why we are successful because we are relaxed when we play.”
On the second game against OBU, Harding had five hits, led by third-baseman Amanda Berdon who went 2 for 3.
“I’m looking forward to leaving it all on the field,” third baseman Amanda Berdon said. “As a senior, knowing that this is the last time I’m going to get to play this game, I’m looking forward to giving it all I have every day and knowing that I did everything I could to help my team be successful; I’m very excited to see what the rest of this season has in store for us.”
Their next game is a double header against SNU on Friday and Saturday in Bethany, Oklahoma. The Lady Bisons next home game is a doubleheader on March 31, against Southeastern Oklahoma.
