After a four game sweep against Southern Nazarene University (SNU), the Lady Bisons softball team broke a Great American Conference (GAC) record with 21 consecutive wins, beating the old record by two. Coach Phil Berry said they were all excited, but they were not going to let it change their attitudes.
“It’s always exciting when you’re on a winning streak,” Berry said. “Your food tastes better, and everything is just going well when you’re on a winning streak, but we do what we can to look at each game one at a time and let streaks take care of themselves. We’re just going to build on each game and each win.”
The high scoring weekend started off with a 10-6 win against SNU on Friday, March 24. SNU scored the first run in the second inning, which was the first run scored against Harding in 38 innings, according to Harding Sports. Harding responded with a plethora of home runs, including a grand slam from freshman pitcher Autumn Humes and freshman outfielder Lindsey Duncan’s first collegiate home run.
The Lady Bisons continued to work at an unprecedented level on Friday, as they broke the school records for most runs after beating SNU 20-3 and the most RBIs with 19, with the previous run record being 18 and the RBI record being 16. Humes pitched six innings and improved her record to 12-1.
On Saturday, the Lady Bisons continued to put in work with another double-header against the Crimson Storm. The Lady Bisons won the first game 6-2. By taking command of the game in the fifth inning thanks to a three-run home run by sophomore outfielder Peyton Mills and a solo home run by Humes.
The Lady Bisons concluded the sweep on Saturday evening with a 17-5 win. Senior third baseman Amanda Berdon started off the day when she doubled in two runs. The Lady Bisons stayed with the beat by scoring six points in the second inning with Mills knocking in a three run home run.
Mills went on to be named GAC Player of the Week after the eventful series. She said that the team was excited to win the series and take the spot as the new record holders, but she added that they are not letting it go to their heads.
“If anything, the streak has made us work a little harder. We know there is a target on our backs, so it is important to stay focused on what we can control,” Mills said. “(Our next step is to) keep working towards our goal and following the steps in our process. The recognition is great, but it is important for our team to play every game like we can and not let the rankings or streaks get in our heads. We must play one pitch at a time and win that pitch.”
The Lady Bisons look to continue their streak against Southeastern Oklahoma State University on Friday, March 31.
