Box Score SEARCY – Junior Ben Smith hit a grand slam and senior Steven Ross hit a three-run home run to lead Arkansas-Fort Smith to a 15-2 victory over 20th-ranked Harding on Tuesday at Jerry Moore Field.

Harding (7-1), who was playing its fifth game in three days, suffered its first loss of the season. UAFS (4-5) took advantage of 10 walks by Harding's three pitchers and won for the third time in its last four games.

Harding led 2-1 after two innings, but Smith's grand slam, his first home run of the season, put the Lions ahead to stay. Two Harding errors in the fourth inning led to five unearned runs, including Ross' home run, as UAFS led 11-2 after the fourth.

Harding starting pitcher Alex Smith (0-1) lasted 3 1/3 innings and allowed eight runs (six earned) on four hits and walked five.

Freshman Kolton Lane gave up only one hit, Ross' home run, over 3 2/3 innings of relief in his debut for Harding.

In the eighth, UAFS tacked on four more runs on three hits off Harding reliever Jacob Giles. The game ended after eight innings due to the NCAA's 10-run rule.

Harding had just three hits in the game, consecutive singles by Chase Presley, Billy Ninemire and Anthony Guglielmi in the first inning that accounted for the Bisons' first run. The Bisons went hitless over the next seven innings but scored a run on the second on Kyle Atkins' sacrifice fly that came after three Bisons walked to load the bases.

Blake Brodie (1-1) went five innings for UAFS to earn the win. He walked four and struck out five.

Harding will play a pair of doubleheaders this weekend against William Jewell. Action begins Saturday at noon at Jerry Moore Field.