By OAKLEE FIELDER, Sports Editor
Last weekend, the NWOSU Softball had their final games of the year. They were set to play in an away triple header against the Harding Bison in Searcy, Arkansas. The Lady Rangers were not able to qualify for the 2025 GAC Championships.
In game one, Madelyn Cason started on the mound and she was able to play through the entire game without being subbed.
The first inning went by without any runs being scored. The Lady Bison did leave two runners on base, Lady Rangers left none.
In the second, both teams left one runner on base but no runs were scored. The third inning opened the scoring, as Harding University was able to get a run scored making it 0-1.
In the very next inning, Rachel Sherwood hit a homerun to take her and Macy Spearman home and the Lady Rangers had the lead in the top of the fourth. In the bottom, the Lady Bison were able to get three hits but no runs were scored.
Besides the top of the fifth where NWOSU left one, there were no more runners left on base for the rest of the game. The Lady Rangers won the first game of the series 2-1. Sherwood, Avery Clark, Madeline Pack, Kirby Van Haren, and Makanalei Lapera were all able to record one hit in the game. No player made more than two hits in game one. Cason recorded ninety pitches thrown and twenty-eight batters faced, but no strike-outs.
Chloe Brown opened the game for the Lady Rangers as she was the starting pitcher for game two.
The first inning was scoreless.
In the second, Harding University was one again the first team to record a run in the game. The third went by with no runs scored.
In the fourth, Kaitlyn Corn hit a double to left center to send Sherwood home and the game was tied at one. The Lady Rangers followed that up with three runs scored in the top of the fifth. Spearman hit a single to the pitcher and sent Lapera home.
Sherwood hit a single up the middle to send Spearman home. Clark hit a single to left center to send Jadyn Muns home. The Lady Rangers were now up 4-1 in the top of the fifth with not a lot of time left in the game.
The Lady Bison were able to hit a single homerun in the sixth to bring the game to two. In the top of the seventh, Sherwood hit a ground out to pitcher which allowed Devyn Raile run home and make it a three-run game once again.
Cason eventually subbed in for Brown in the final inning. In a stunning turn of events, Harding was able to pull of the miracle and they scored four runs to get a walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh and the Bison won the game 5-6. Muns and Sherwood both had two runs by the end of the game, Sherwood had two RBIs. Brown recorded eighty-three pitches thrown and two strike-outs.
The third and final game of the series and the 2025 season started just the same as the other two in the series, with a scoreless first inning. Katheryn Jones started on the mound for the Lady Rangers but was replaced by Cason in the second inning.
In the second, Harding scored four runs to take a large early lead.
The Lady Rangers responded quickly in the third as Corn hit a single to center field and sent Spearman home. In the following inning, Clark hit a ground out to pitcher, but there was a fielding error. Clark made it to first and Spearman and Lapera ran home to make it a 3-4 ballgame.
In the sixth, Harding had practically sealed the game as they scored three runs to make it 3-7. The Bison took home game three of the series and the 2025 NWOSU Softball season was over.
Muns, Spearman, and Lapera all recorded two hits in game three. Jones and Cason had one strike-out a piece.
In the twelve-team conference, the Lady Rangers finished last in twelfth. They finished with an 8-25 GAC record and a 14-36 overall record. The team above them was East Central University who finished with a 10-23 GAC record.
This year overall was a poor showing for the Lady Rangers. Although there were highlights, they just never shined bright enough. Looking forward to next season, they know what work needs to be done.