Box Score

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Score one for the new guys. 

The Harding baseball team, making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA II South Region Tournament, defeated five-time national champion Tampa 4-1 on Thursday at Jim Spooner Field. 

Harding, now 42-12, advances to meet North Alabama on Friday at 4:30 p.m. North Alabama defeated Southern Arkansas 8-3 in the day's first game. 

The No. 3 seed in the eight-team tournament, Harding used a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate from senior Jason Nappi and a season-high four double plays from its defense to move past the No. 6 seed Tampa. 

Nappi, a native of Birmingham, Ala., had a hand in three of Harding's four runs. 

In the third inning, Chase Presley singled, stole second base, and scored on Nappi's single to left center that gave Harding a 1-0 lead. 

Tampa (35-16) scored its only run of the game in the fifth. The Spartans loaded the bases with two outs and Damon Elder scored from third on a wild pitch by Harding starter Brodie Brumley (5-4). 

Harding extended its lead in the sixth, again with Nappi in the middle of everything. With one out, Nappi hit a ground-rule double over the left field fence and came around to score on Erin McCarver's RBI single down the left field line. Trent Kinnear then singled to right and moved McCarver over to third, knocking out Tampa starter and Clemson transfer Josh Thrailkill (3-4) out of the game. 

Jeremy Bohnett greeted Tim Kiley, the new Tampa pitcher, with a base hit to left field that scored McCarver and gave Harding a 3-1 lead. 

Nappi drove in another run in the seventh with a line drive to center that plated Presley to give the Bisons a three-run advantage. 

Brumley earned his 20th career victory for Harding mostly by letting his infielders in on the fun. The Bisons turned double plays in the first, third and seventh innings behind Brumley and added a fourth double play behind reliever Donny Stephens in the eighth. 

Brumley went seven innings and allowed only five hits and one earned run while walking two and striking out six. He gave way to Stephens in the eighth. Stephens, who hails from nearby Mobile, Ala., scattered four hits and earned his first save of the season. 

Tyler Ding had three hits to lead Tampa's offense. 

The Harding victory was the 300th in the collegiate coaching career of Harding head coach Dr. Patrick McGaha, spanning his time at College of the Ozarks and Harding.