Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SEARCY – The 28th-ranked Harding baseball team won a pair of one-run games Sunday at Jerry Moore Field, defeating Alabama-Huntsville 5-4 and 2-1 to remain unbeaten this season.

Harding (5-0) has won five straight games to open a season for the first time since moving to the NCAA in 1997. Alabama-Huntsville (2-8) has lost seven straight, including the last six by two runs or less.

With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning in game one, Harding's Paul Anzalone singled to left with one out. Senior Chase Presley followed that with a single to right that sent Anzalone all the way to third. Junior Billy Ninemire then scored Anzalone with the game-winning run on a single over the head of Alabama-Huntsville left fielder Robbie Friedlein.

Harding trailed 4-1 after Alabama-Huntsville scored four runs in the top of the fifth. The Bisons responded with three of their own. Junior Gabe Fyock singled with one out and went to third on junior Kyle Atkins' double. Fyock scored on Anzalone's sacrifice fly to left, and Atkins scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 4-3.

A series of strange events led to Harding scoring the tying run. With two outs, Ninemire hit a ground ball to UAH third baseman Vincent Kortbawi, whose throw to first was in the dirt. First baseman Jim Nelson scooped the throw, and base umpire Darrell McWayne called Ninemire out. Harding argued that Nelson's foot came off the bag on the play, and after consultation with home plate umpire Melvin Caldwell, Ninemire was called safe.

Harding then had Ninemire at first and Presley at third, and junior Anthony Guglielmi lined a single to left to score Presley and tie the game.

Sophomore Cameron Walker (1-0) allowed only one hit and struck out three in 4 1/3 innings of relief to earn the win for Harding. Junior Logan Holthaus started and went 4 2/3 innings and allowed three earned runs and struck out four.

Cody Barrett (1-2) allowed only the game-winning run in 3 1/3 innings of relief for Alabama-Huntsville and took the loss.

In game two, the duo of Atkins and Presley combined twice to score both Harding runs. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Atkins walked to lead off the inning. He advanced to second on a ground out and stole third. Atkins scored to tie the game on Presley's single to right.

In the third, Atkins tripled to left center to lead off the inning and scored again on another Presley single to right field.

Hayden Shirley (2-0) won his second straight start for the Bisons. He went five innings and allowed just three hits and one earned run with five strikeouts. Sophomore Bronson Smith earned his second save, yielding just one hit in two innings with three strikeouts.

Left-hander Drew Eiland (0-2) suffered the loss, pitching all six innings and giving up six hits and two earned runs while striking out six.

The two teams return to Jerry Moore Field for another doubleheader Monday at noon. Harding is scheduled to pitch junior Lucas Waddell and junior Ryan Modglin in Monday's games.