ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Harding junior Erin McCarver hit a grand slam and junior Cameron Walker struck out a career-high 11 batters as the Bisons defeated the Henderson State Reddies 11-0 on Friday in the first game of a three-game Great American Conference series. The game was stopped after eight innings due to the NCAA's 10-run rule.

The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.

Harding improved to 22-15 overall and 12-10 in GAC play. The victory keeps the Bisons in the hunt for the GAC Tournament. Harding entered the game sixth in the conference standings with the top six teams reaching the conference tournament in May.

Henderson State fell to 20-16 overall and 14-8 in conference.

The 11-0 victory was Harding's largest shutout on the road since defeating Williams Baptist 15-0 on Feb. 21, 2004 in Walnut Ridge, Ark. It was the Bisons' largest road shutout ever against a Division II opponent.

Harding's last shutout of Henderson State was a 4-0 blanking on Apr. 14, 2007.

McCarver got things started for the Harding offense in the first. With two outs and the bases loaded, McCarver hit his first home run of the season and sixth of his career. It was the Bisons' second grand slam this season and the first of McCarver's career.

The four-run first was all Harding starter Cameron Walker (3-2) needed. Walker pitched a complete game and allowed only three hits. His 11 strikeouts were the most by a Bison pitcher this season.

Walker gave up a two-out double to Taddarius Hawkins in the third but left him stranded at second. He walked Taylor Coleman with out in the sixth and gave up a single to Michael Corso that put runners at the corners with one out. Walker got out of the inning when he struck out Dustin Hudson and McCarver threw out Corso trying to steal. Henderson State's Carlos Rodriguez singled to open the seventh, but Walker left him there as he struck out the next three hitters.

Harding continued to pour it on against Henderson State starter Nathan Eller (4-2) with a run in the fourth on an RBI single from Trent Wooldridge, who finished 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.

Billy Ninemire, who went 2-for-5 with a run and two RBI, made it 6-0 with an RBI single in the seventh. The Bisons blew the game open in the eighth, scoring five runs on five hits. Kyle Atkins, James Anderson, and Ninemire each had RBI singles, and Jeremy Bohnett drove in two with a double.

Eller went seven innings in the loss and allowed six runs on six hits.