Box Score SEARCY – A very difficult season came to an end Sunday for the Harding baseball team as the Bisons fell 5-1 to Southwestern Oklahoma State at Jerry Moore Field. The victory by the Bulldogs completed a three-game sweep in which they outscored the Bisons 20-1.

Harding finished with a 24-25 overall record and a 7-17 mark in its first season of Great American Conference play. That came one season after the Bisons were 42-14, won the Gulf South Conference West Division regular season championship, and advanced to their first NCAA Tournament.

After managing nine hits in Saturday's back-to-back shutouts, Harding had just three hits Sunday. Trailing 1-0 in the fifth and with Harding hitless through the first fourth innings, Bison sophomore Matt Calhoun led off the bottom of the inning with his second triple of the season. Senior Anthony Guglielmi then doubled to score Calhoun with Harding's lone run of the series.

With Harding playing its final home game, the Bison coaching staff chose to start senior Alex Smith. He recorded the game's first two outs before giving way to fellow senior Jacob Giles, who got the third out of the inning.

Junior Logan Holthaus (2-5) came into the game to start the second inning. He blanked the Bulldogs for the first five innings he pitched before yielding two runs (one unearned) in the seventh. Holthaus allowed five hits and three walks in his six innings of work.

Junior Ryan Modglin closed out the game for the Bisons, giving up two runs in the final two innings.

Shane Martin (4-5) pitched 6 1/3 innings for the win. Adrian Dominguez went 2 2/3 innings for his ninth save.
Harding honored Smith, Giles, Guglielmi and Chase Presley prior to the game.

Junior Billy Ninemire finished the season with Harding's top batting average (.318). Calhoun led the team with four home runs and tied with Guglielmi for the team lead with 28 RBI. Harding's best ERA by a starter was junior Lucas Waddell's 2.99. Reliever Bronson Smith had Harding's top bullpen ERA at 2.93.