SEARCY – Harding's pitchers did not allow a run for the first 13 innings of its doubleheader sweep Tuesday against Crowley's Ridge College, and the Bisons pounded out 18 hits in winning both games at Jerry Moore Field.

Harding improved to 8-3 on the season. The doubleheader was the first two games of the season for Crowley's Ridge.

Junior Alex Smith (1-0) allowed only two hits and struck out four in earning the win on the mound in game one. Smith lowered his ERA to 1.64 with six shutout innings.

Harding had five hits in the third inning, scoring four times off Crowley's Ridge starter Jimmy Poe (0-1). Sophomore Anthony Guglielmi had a two-run double to right field, and Chase Presley and Jason Nappi also drove in runs with singles.

In the fourth, Harding freshman Matt Calhoun hit his first collegiate home run, a solo shot to right field.

Harding tacked on three more runs in the fifth, two coming on Clay West's bases-loaded single, and another in the sixth. West was 3-for-3 in the game, his fifth career three-hit game. Freshman Jeremy Bohnett went 2-for-4 for the Bisons.

Freshman Cameron Walker continued the strong starting pitching for the Bisons in game two. Making his first collegiate start, Walker allowed only two hits and struck out four, throwing 42 of his 58 pitches for strikes.

Junior Marc McRae allowed only one hit over the next two innings, and freshman Bronson Smith earned his second save, pitching the seventh.

Harding took a 1-0 lead in the game in the bottom of the first inning. Paul Anzalone doubled and scored on Nappi's single to right.

Neither team scored again until the sixth when Bohnett tripled to right center, scoring Billy Ninemire with one out. Bohnett then scored Harding's third run on a wild pitch.

Smith came on for McRae in the seventh and hit the first two batters he faced. Crowley's Ridge's Cameron Clark then fouled a pitch off his foot that rolled into fair territory. Neither Smith nor Harding catcher Tyler Stanford went after the ball, expecting the umpires to rule a foul ball. Eventually, Clark ran to first and made it safely to load the bases.

Representing the go-ahead run, Crowley's Ridge's Jay Singleton grounded into a double play that scored Brandon Vickery from third. Calhoun, Harding's first baseman, scooped the throw out of the dirt on the back end of the double play to prevent a second run from scoring.

Smith retired Caleb Yates on a ground ball to end the game.

Harding's next games are Saturday when it hosts Lambuth University for a doubleheader beginning at noon. The teams also play a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.