SEARCY – Harding baseball extended its winning streak to five games with a 4-1 victory in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday at Arkansas-Fort Smith. The Lions snapped the Bisons streak with a 7-3 victory in game two.
Harding moved to 15-14 overall and will resume Great American Conference play Friday and Saturday at Southern Arkansas in Magnolia. Arkansas-Fort Smith is now 14-8 overall with three of its losses coming to Harding.
Noah Chandler went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three Harding pitchers limited Arkansas-Fort Smith to only five hits in game one.
The Bisons scored in each of the first three innings, including twice in the first. Harrison Hunter led off the game with a triple and scored on interference. Chandler singled, advanced to third on two wild pitches, and scored on Davis Richardson's sacrifice fly.
Harding freshman Jesse Cox led off the second with his first collegiate home run to give the Bisons a 3-0 lead.
Arkansas-Fort Smith's lone run against Harding starter Jacob Stripling (2-3) came on Josh Vanderpool's RBI single in the second. Stripling went a predetermined three innings and allowed three hits with two strikeouts.
Zac Stewart singled and Noah Chandler doubled him to third to open the third inning. Stewart scored Harding's final run on Zach Beasley's sacrifice fly.
Harding freshman Reed Roberts struck out four in three scoreless innings of relief, and junior Zac Stewart pitched a perfect seventh for his fourth save.
The three-hit game was Chandler's third of the season and his eight multi-hit games is tied with Alan Copeland for the team lead.
Arkansas-Fort Smith's Kellen Smith struck out 12 in a complete-game victory in game two. Harding's runs came when Hunter scored from third on a passed ball in the third and on a two-run Richardson home run in the seventh, his team-leading fourth of the season.
Stewart and Richardson had two hits each in game two.
Andrew Ralston (2-1) suffered his first loss of the season, allowing two earned runs in two innings.
Bryce Neal went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, and Ozzie Hurt was 4-for-4 with a run scored to lead Arkansas-Fort Smith.
