Box Score
MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Sometimes it only takes one bad inning to spoil an otherwise outstanding effort.
Eight straight Southern Arkansas batters reached base to start the fifth inning and six crossed the plate as the Muleriders came from behind to defeat Harding 10-5 and end the Bison baseball season at the Gulf South Conference Tournament at USA Stadium.
Harding (27-23) led 2-0 after four innings, but everything that could go wrong in the fifth inning did. In the frame, Southern Arkansas (42-9) had only three hits, but profited from two walks and three hit batters. The big blow was a three-run triple by senior shortstop Pat Robey off Harding starter Brodie Brumley (5-2).
Southern Arkansas tacked on two more runs in the seventh on a two-run homer by junior Tyler Maag to make the score 8-2. Harding mounted a rally in the bottom of the frame as Aaron Roberts and Wisley Correa both walked with one out, and two batters later, senior Matt Stevens hit his fifth home run of the season to cut the lead to 8-5.
The Muleriders, ranked seventh nationally and with a .361 team batting average entering the game, added another two runs in the ninth on a two-run double by Maag. He was 2-for-3 with two runs and five RBI.
Roberts put Harding ahead in the bottom of the first with a solo home run, his 10th of the season. The Bisons made it 2-0 in the second when junior Ryan Moody's sacrifice fly scored Stevens.
Southern Arkansas reliever Aaron Terry (7-1) picked up the win in relief. He pitched 3.2 innings and allowed three runs, all earned with two strikeouts.
Harding used six pitchers. Brumley started, went four innings and allowed six runs.
