Box Score

MILLINGTON, Tenn. – In Harding's Gulf South Conference Tournament game Monday at USA Stadium, one team came through with a bases loaded hit in the seventh inning and the other did not.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Harding sophomore Erin McCarver doubled down the leftfield line and scored three runs to lead the Bisons to a 6-2 victory over West Florida, the No. 1-ranked team in Division II.

“I just tried to stay relaxed and stay comfortable and do what I always do,” McCarver said.

“Our guys have done that all year,” Harding head coach Dr. Patrick McGaha said. “We have just gotten so many two out hits.”

The victory left Harding (40-11) two wins away from its first GSC Tournament title and all but guaranteed that the Bisons will be playing in the NCAA II South Region Tournament beginning May 19. The field for that tournament will be announced Saturday, May 14. Harding plays Arkansas Tech on Tuesday at 1 p.m. The winner of that game plays Southern Arkansas in the championship game at 4:30 p.m.

It is Harding's first 40-win season in program history. It was only the second-ever victory for the Harding baseball team over the NCAA's No. 1-ranked team. The Bisons defeated then top-ranked Delta State 5-4 in 2003.

For McGaha, who is in his sixth season as head coach of the Bisons and who played for Harding from 1988-91, the 40th victory was especially sweet.

“I remember watching Harding's 1984 AIC championship team and 1985 and 1986 teams that made the district tournament,” McGaha said. “Then playing for Coach [Steve] Smith and Coach [Dick] Johnson and being a teammate of Coach [Shane] Fullerton, this win was really special.”

West Florida (44-8), the regular season champions from the GSC East Division, had its opportunity with the bases loaded as well. With two outs and runners on second and third, Harding reliever Ryan Modglin hit Leo Lamarche to bring up Dustin Lawley with three runners on and the Argos down 5-2. Lawley, who doubled in his first at-bat, swung at the first pitch and popped it up to Harding second baseman Chase Presley.

In the top of the inning, McCarver came through with his second clutch, two-out hit of the tournament. With two outs, Harding tied the game at 2-2 on a Paul Anzalone single, Presley's hit-by-pitch, and a Billy Ninemire single that scored Anzalone. West Florida then walked Jason Nappi intentionally to load the bases and set the stage for McCarver's heroics.

“Coach McGaha told me that the intentional walk showed that they had no respect for me,” McCarver said. “I kind of took that personally.”

McCarver also had a two-out hit with the bases loaded to score two runs in Harding's 5-2 victory over North Alabama on Saturday.

Modglin (4-0) picked up the win in relief for the Bisons. He has battled shoulder problems this season, but had enough for two shutout innings Monday. Freshman Cameron Walker earned the save, his first of the season, with perfect eighth and ninth innings.

“We were not sure what we were going to get out of (Modglin),” McGaha said. “He got in a little trouble in his second inning, but he was able to get out of it. He gave us two great innings.”

Harding's clutch hitting almost overshadowed the outstanding outing it received from freshman starter Bronson Smith. Making only his third start of the season and his first in exactly one month, Smith allowed only three hits and two earned runs over five innings against the GSC's third-best offense.

“Such a good performance from a freshman,” McGaha said. “The thing we noticed about him early in the fall was that he has no fear on the mound. He wants the baseball. He's not intimidated. You don't get that very often from a freshman, but we also got that tonight from Cameron Walker to close the game out.”

Harding extended the lead to 6-2 on a Ninemire RBI double in the ninth.

Ninemire, who has an 11-game hitting streak, and McCarver both had two hits for Harding.