ADA, Okla. – The East Central University softball team hosted Harding University on Saturday for the opening doubleheader of their series. After a comeback by the top-ranked Bisons in the first game, securing a 6-4 win, Harding carried that momentum into game two, where ECU fell 6-3, leading to a doubleheader defeat.
 
ECU will look to bounce back in the final game of the series tomorrow with a single game scheduled for 12 p.m.
 
GAME 1 | ECU 4, HARDING 6
The Tigers struck first in the opening game, holding a lead through three innings as the Bisons were held scoreless.
 
In the bottom of the second, Emily Bingham's RBI single to right field scored Shayne Roberts, putting ECU on the board first. The Tigers then extended their lead in the third inning when Roberts and Brooklyn Fleming both drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks, making it 3-0.
 
However, Harding responded in a big way during the fourth inning, erasing the deficit with a three-run homer to right field, tying the game at 3-3.
 
Neither team was able to score in the fifth inning, but in the sixth, Harding took its first lead of the game, plating a run to go ahead 4-3.
 
ECU quickly answered in the bottom half of the inning when Elyse LeClair's RBI double scored Rylynn Truett, leveling the score at 4-4. But the Bisons seized control again in the seventh, tacking on two more runs, which the Tigers could not recover from, ultimately falling 6-4.
 
Starting pitcher Taylor Spence delivered a strong performance, going 6.2 innings and striking out six batters, though she allowed six runs in the loss.
 
Carsyn Cox and Elyse LeClair each had two hits, while LeClair, Roberts, Fleming, and Bingham each contributed an RBI.
 
GAME 2 | ECU 3, HARDING 6
ECU again struck first in the second game, with Amiah Galcatcher's RBI double to left field scoring Elyse LeClair in the first inning to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. But Harding responded with a dominant second inning, scoring five runs on five hits and a Tiger error to take a commanding 5-1 advantage.
 
The Tigers kept battling back, beginning in the bottom of the second when Shayne Roberts launched a solo home run to right field, cutting the deficit to 5-2.
 
After two scoreless innings, ECU narrowed the gap further in the fifth with an RBI single from Galcatcher, plating McKinley Feazle to make it 5-3. However, the Bisons added an insurance run in the seventh, and the Tigers were unable to mount a rally, falling 6-3 to complete the doubleheader loss.
 
Amera Garner started in the circle, pitching 1.2 innings and suffering the loss. Lindsey Mauppin came on in relief, tossing 4.1 innings and allowing just one run. Chloe Williams closed out the final innings, keeping Harding off the board.
 
LeClair and Galcatcher each had two hits, while Roberts, Fleming, and Feazle added one hit apiece.