CLEVELAND, Miss. – Harding lost both games of a doubleheader Saturday in non-conference baseball action against Delta State.
 
Game One Key Innings (Delta State 11, Harding 5)

• Harding took its first lead of the game in the fourth inning on a two-run bases loaded single from freshman Blake Coward. Davis Richardson and Grant Guest both singled, and Chris Taylor walked with two outs to set up the bases-loaded situation.
• Delta State answered with four in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good. Colton Welch provided the big blow, a three-run home run to left.
• Delta State added two runs in the fifth on solo home runs from Will Robertson and Ethan Gill to take a 7-2 lead and knock Harding starting pitcher Andrew Fiddler out of the game.
• Harding trimmed the lead to 7-5 in the sixth on an RBI single from Grant Guest and a two-run home run from Taylor, his first collegiate home run.
• Delta State scored three more in the bottom of the sixth to pull away. Robertson had a two-run double, and Jacob Swiney also had an RBI double.

Game One Key Statistics

• Harding starter Andrew Fiddler (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing six earned runs over 4 1/3 innings. Jacob Stripling allowed two earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. Matt Brashear pitched a scoreless seventh, and freshman Raiff Beever allowed one run in the eighth in his Harding debut.
• Harding had eight hits, led by Grant Guest's 2-for-2 effort. He was also hit by a pitch twice and reached base in all four plate appearances.
• The Bisons had two extra-base hits, a double by Noah Chandler and Taylor's home run.
• Robertson and Welch led Delta State's offensive attack. Both had two hits, three RBIs and a home run.
• Delta State starter Dalton Moats picked up the win despite allowing five earned runs in six innings.

 
Game Two Key Innings (Delta State 2, Harding 1)

• Delta State opened the scoring in the top of the first on Gill's two-run home run.
• Harding closed the gap to 2-1 in the third, taking advantage of a throwing error on a pickoff play that allowed Taylor to move to second. Zac Stewart drove in Taylor with a two-out single to center.
• Harding had runners reach second base with two outs in the sixth and seventh innings but did not score.

Game Two Key Statistics

·         Hunter Payne had his second straight strong outing on the mound for the Bisons. He took the loss but allowed only two earned runs on five hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

·         Harding had only one hit in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

·         Davis Richardson had two of Harding's five hits, including a double.

Up Next