Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

SEARCY – Harding opened the 2013 baseball season with a doubleheader sweep of Maryville on Saturday at Jerry Moore Field. The Bisons used a two-out, three-run double by Matt Calhoun to win the opener 6-3. Harding pounded out 19 hits and had seven-run second inning and nine-run fourth inning in a 20-2 blowout in game two.

With the score tied 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth, Harding (2-0) loaded the bases with two outs without the benefit of a hit. Maryville replaced starting pitcher Brett Grempler with reliever Shane Herschelman to face Calhoun, who laced a double to right center to score Erin McCarver, Billy Ninemire and Trent Wooldridge.

Harding took a 2-0 lead in the first. Kyle Atkins led off the inning and was hit by a pitch. He stole second and scored on Wooldridge's single to right field. Wooldridge came around to score with two outs on a wild pitch.

Harding made it 3-0 in the second. Gabe Fyock walked with one out and went to third when Paul Anzalone's single to right field was misplayed by Maryville's Kaleb Depew. Fyock scored on Atkins' sacrifice fly to right.

After escaping a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth inning, Harding starter Lucas Waddell was not as fortunate in the top of the fifth. Maryville (0-2) used four singles to score three and tie the game. Colby White had an RBI single, and Eric Keling drove in two with a base hit.

Waddell left after 4 2/3 innings and Josh Spears got the last out of the fifth. Spears allowed only one hit over the last two innings and earned the win. It was his second career victory.

Seven different Harding players had multi-hit games in game two, led by three hits each from Calhoun and Fyock. McCarver, Victor Guerra, and Chris Hardey all drove in three runs, as did Davis Richardson, who hit a three-run, pinch-hit home run in the sixth inning in his first Harding at-bat.

The 20 runs tied the most ever scored by Harding at Jerry Moore Field. The Bisons originally set the record in a 20-9 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Mar. 2, 2005.

Senior Hayden Shirley earned the win as Harding's starting pitcher. He allowed only one earned run on three hits over 4.0 innings and struck out three. Redshirt freshman Zac Stewart pitched the final 3.0 innings and earned his first save.

Maryville starter Matt Staback allowed seven earned runs in 1 2/3 innings and suffered the loss.

The two teams meet again Sunday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.