SEARCY – Harding took advantage of two Central Baptist errors in the bottom of the seventh to come from behind and defeat the Mustangs 7-6 on Tuesday at Jerry Moore Field.

Harding (14-7) used eight pitchers in the game in preparation for this weekend's three-game Great American Conference series against nationally-ranked Southern Arkansas. The Bisons and Muleriders will play Friday and Saturday in Searcy with times pending due to weather.

Harding led 5-0 after five innings, but Central Baptist (12-6) used five hits, a walk, and a hit batter to score six runs in the sixth and take a 6-5 lead. The big blow was a three-run, bases-loaded triple with two outs by Brady Brashier.

The Bisons answered with the tying and eventual winning run in the seventh. Chris Hardey walked to lead off the inning against Central Baptist starter Josh Fortner, a junior transfer from Ouachita Baptist. Harrison Hunter pinch ran for Hardey and moved to second on John Chapman's sacrifice bunt. Hunter then advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored the tying run on a passed ball to tie the game.

With one out and no one on base, Trent Wooldridge hit a chopper to first and reached on an error by Mustang first baseman Jesse Hughes. Wooldridge stole second and was there with one out when Zac Stewart grounded back to Fortner, who turned and tried to throw out Wooldridge advancing to third. The throw to third baseman Ross Westbrook beat Wooldridge, but his slide knocked the baseball out of Westbrook's glove. Wooldridge raced home with the winning run.

Sophomore Jacob Stripling started for Harding and went two innings, allowing only one hit and striking out three. Harding's sixth pitcher of the game, Andrew Fiddler (2-3), got the win. He gave up one hit and struck out two in 1 1/3 innings. Stewart came on to pitch the ninth and earned his first save.

Fortner (1-1) took the loss. He yielded seven runs (six earned) over seven innings. He walked four and struck out one.

Harding took a 4-0 lead in the first. John Anderson had an RBI single, Noah Chandler doubled in a run and scored on a wild pitch, and Victor Guerra had an RBI ground out. The Bisons' run in the fifth came on Matt Calhoun's RBI single.

Chandler was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI for his fifth multi-hit game of the season. Copeland went 2-for-3 for his first multi-hit game.