ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State won the final two games of a three-game Great American Conference series on Saturday, defeating Harding 10-3 and 4-1 in a doubleheader at Clyde Berry Field.
Harding (5-4, 1-2) won the opener 3-0 on Friday. The Bisons are back in action Wednesday in non-conference play against Delta State in Cleveland, Mississippi.
Henderson State (6-1, 2-1) used a six-run third inning to pull away in the opener. Harding responded from the 7-0 deficit with two runs in the fourth. Davis Richardson drove in John Chapman with a single, and Noah Chandler scored on a double play.
The Reddies scored two in the bottom of the inning and led 10-2 when Harding tacked on its final run in the seventh. Kyler Offenbacker doubled with one out and scored on Grant Guest's ground out.
Andrew Fiddler (0-1) suffered the loss for the Bisons. He allowed five earned runs in 2 2-3 innings. Chris Hunt (2-0) earned the win, allowing three earned runs in seven innings and striking out three.
Harrison Hunter went 3-for-5 for Harding for his third straight three-hit game. With his seven hits in the series, Hunter boosted his team-leading average to .412. He has hits in five straight and has hit at a .524 clip during the hitting streak.
Hunter had Harding's first hit in game two, which did not come until the sixth inning. At that point Harding trailed 1-0, but Hunter's singled helped continue the inning, and Chandler drove in Offenbacker to tie the game. Hunter was thrown out at home plate on the play as Harding attempted to take the lead.
Henderson State struck for three unearned runs in the seventh that followed a rare Harding error.
Junior Jacob Stripling (1-2) pitched well for Harding, allowing only one earned run over five innings but was saddled with the loss.
Henderson State's Cody Jones (2-0) allowed just two hits and struck out six in collecting the win.