SEARCY – Harding junior Victor Guerra hit a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Bisons to a 7-5 victory over Missouri S&T on Saturday at Jerry Moore Field. It was the 2,000th game in Harding baseball history.

Harding (3-0) trailed 5-4 entering the eighth. Senior Billy Ninemire was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved to second on Erin McCarver's sacrifice bunt. Matt Calhoun walked and Jeremy Bohnett was credited with a single after his ground ball hit Ninemire between second and third for the second out. Bohnett and pinch-runner John Chapman moved to second and third on a wild pitch to set the stage for Guerra.

Guerra, a transfer from Howard County Junior College, sent a 3-2 pitch from Missouri S&T reliever Chris Bowe over the left field wall for Harding's second home run of the game.

Missouri S&T (0-1), playing its season opener, scored five runs only three hits off Harding reliever Collin Campbell in the sixth inning to take a 5-4 lead. The Miners scored the go-ahead runs on Kyle Rich's two-run double with two outs.

Harding senior Lucas Waddell started on the mound and gave the Bisons five solid innings. He allowed six hits and no runs, did not walk any and struck out four.

Harding took a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI single by Paul Anzalone and made it 4-0 in the fourth on a three-run home run by Bohnett.

Redshirt freshman Zac Stewart earned the win in relief for the Bisons. He struck out six of the nine batters he faced and allowed only one hit in 2 2/3 innings.

Bowe took the loss in relief of Missouri S&T starter John Auble, who went 4.0 innings and allowed four hits and four earned runs.

Harding did not have a hit from any of its first five hitters in the lineup, but Bohnett was 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI in the six hole. Guerra was 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI while hitting seventh.

The teams meet again Sunday at 1 p.m. to conclude the series with a doubleheader.