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SEARCY – Harding combined clutch hitting with strong starting pitching to earn a doubleheader sweep over College of the Ozarks on Friday in non-conference baseball action at Jerry Moore Field. The Bisons won the opener 4-0 and went extra innings to defeat the Bobcats 3-2 in game two.
The two teams meet for another doubleheader Saturday. The start time of game one has been moved to 11 a.m. due to the possibility of rain.
Harding (10-12) earned its third doubleheader sweep of the season. College of the Ozarks (10-12) has now dropped 11 of its last 12 games.
In the opener, Harding took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Junior designated hitter Devin Watts led off the inning with his seventh double of the season. Two batters later, sophomore Adam Darby launched his second home run over the left-center field fence.
In the third, sophomore Jon David Glenn’s sacrifice fly gave the Bisons a 3-0 lead, scoring Chase Chandler. Harding tacked on another run in the sixth when Darby’s second double of the game plated Ryan Moody.
Junior left-hander Justin Phillips (3-0) remained unbeaten on the mound for the Bisons. Phillips went the distance, allowing only two fourth-inning hits. He walked two and struck out a season-high nine batters.
Jason House (1-3) also went the distance for College of the Ozarks. He allowed seven hits and struck out five.
The shutout was the first for Harding since the opening game of the 2005 season, a span of 72 games.
With the score tied 2-2 in the eighth inning of the second game, freshman Danny Bryant lined the game-winning single to right to score Moody. It was Bryant’s second game-winning hit of the season.
Jeff Davis (1-2) picked up the win in relief for the Bisons. The right-hander pitched 3.2 innings and allowed only three hits. Sophomore Kenny Barnett started for Harding and allowed two runs in 4.1 innings.
J Meurer (1-3) suffered the loss for the Bobcats. He gave up a leadoff single to Watts to open the ninth. Moody then hit into a fielder’s choice before Jason Reinsch replaced Meurer. Moody advanced to second on Reinsch’s wild pitch and scored on Bryant’s hit.
Meurer threw 125 pitches before being lifted after 7.1 innings. He allowed seven hits, walked five, and struck out four.
Ozarks scored once in the top of the first, but Harding took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on a two-run double by Watts. The Bobcats scored in the fifth to tie the game.
Harding coach Patrick McGaha coached the last four seasons at College of the Ozarks before taking over for the Bisons this season.
