SEARCY – Harding junior Jeremy Bohnett lined a single to center to drive in Trent Wooldridge with the winning run as the Bisons defeated East Central 7-6 on Friday in Great American Conference play at Jerry Moore Field. The teams will conclude the series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon.

Harding improved to 10-4 overall with the victory and is 4-3 in GAC play. East Central (5-15, 1-9) lost its ninth straight.

The Bisons led 6-2 entering the ninth inning, but the Tigers rallied for four runs to tie the game against reliever Bronson Smith (1-0), who picked up the win after Harding's ninth-inning rally.

Harding senior Kyle Atkins led off the ninth with a single, his third hit of the game. Junior Trent Wooldridge beat out a bunt to put runners on first and second. Senior Billy Ninemire then attempted to sacrifice the runners over, but East Central pitcher Gabriel Martinez fielded the bunt and threw out Atkins at third.

Bohnett then ended the game with his 12th RBI of the season.

Martinez (1-2) took the loss for East Central.

Bison starting pitcher Lucas Waddell, who needs one win to become Harding's career leader, left after 6 1/3 innings with a four-run lead. He allowed six hits and two earned runs with no walks and three strikeouts.

Five Harding players had multi-hit games in the Bisons' 14-hit attack. Wooldridge, Bohnett, Matt Calhoun and James Anderson had two hits each. It was Atkins' fifth multi-hit game and first three-hit game of the season.