SEARCY – Harding senior Lucas Waddell tied a school record, senior Hayden Shirley won his third straight start, and the Bisons collected 23 hits in a doubleheader sweep of Southern Nazarene on Saturday at Jerry Moore Field. The Bisons won the opener 9-4 and took game two 6-2.

Harding improved to 7-1 overall and opened Great American Conference play 2-0. Southern Nazarene (3-8, 0-5) has lost six straight. Sunday's series finale begins at 1 p.m.

Waddell earned his school-record tying 22nd career victory in the opener. He matched the mark of Matt Walter, who pitched at Harding from 2000-03.

The Bisons took a 6-0 lead with two runs in the second and four in the third. Junior Victor Guerra had a sacrifice fly and Paul Anzalone had an RBI single in the second. Billy Ninemire's two-run home run, his first of the season, made it 4-0 and Guerra and Gabe Fyock added RBI hits.

Southern Nazarene scored a run in the sixth and three more in the seventh. Waddell left after allowing a two-run triple by Austin Samulowitz with one out in the seventh. The Crimson Storm scored one more before Bison reliever Josh Spears ended the rally.

Leading 6-4, Harding tacked on three runs in the eighth on Anzalone, Ninemire, and Kyle Atkins RBI singles. Ninemire was 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Anzalone, Atkins and Matt Calhoun each had two hits.

Shirley (3-0) allowed only two earned runs on four hits in five innings in game two.

Harding trailed 2-1 until erupting for five runs in the fifth inning. Trent Wooldridge drove in the first run on a ground out to shortstop, and Gabe Fyock gave the Bisons the lead when he scored on a Southern Nazarene error. With two outs, Erin McCarver drove in a run with a single, and Calhoun and Jeremy Bohnett both doubled in runs.

Crimson Storm starter Tim Coleman (0-2) gave up six earned runs on nine hits in five innings and took the loss.