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Harding University Athletics

Ben Brauss
Ben Brauss hit a grand slam in game one.
9
Harding HU 16-22, 11-14 GAC
12
Winner Southern Arkansas SAU 30-7, 23-2 GAC
Harding HU
16-22, 11-14 GAC
9
Final
12
Southern Arkansas SAU
30-7, 23-2 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Harding HU 0 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 13 0
Southern Arkansas SAU 1 2 0 4 0 1 4 0 X 12 15 1

W: Pake Montgomery (2-1) L: Faulkner, Mason (2-4) S: Makenzy Larsen (6)

6
Harding HU 16-23, 11-15 GAC
9
Winner Southern Arkansas SAU 31-7, 24-2 GAC
Harding HU
16-23, 11-15 GAC
6
Final
9
Southern Arkansas SAU
31-7, 24-2 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Harding HU 0 0 0 2 1 0 3 6 12 0
Southern Arkansas SAU 3 3 3 0 0 0 X 9 12 3

W: Dalton Algiene (10-1) L: Roberts, Reed (1-6) S: Jacob Stroder (2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | by Scott Goode (4/14/17)

No. 7 Southern Arkansas Sweeps Harding Baseball Doubleheader

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – No. 7 Southern Arkansas used a big comeback in game one and a great start in game two to sweep the Harding baseball team in a Great American Conference doubleheader on Friday at Goodheart Field.

Southern Arkansas won the opener 12-9 and took game two 9-6.

The losses snapped Harding's five game winning streak and dropped the Bisons to 16-23 overall and 11-15 in the GAC. After Friday's conference results, Harding is in seventh place in the conference standings among GAC Tournament-eligible teams.

Southern Arkansas improved to 31-7 overall and 24-2 in the GAC. The Muleriders are in first place in the conference standings and have clinched home-field advantage in the opening from of the GAC Tournament.

In the opener, Harding scored seven runs in the second inning, the second time in 10 days that Harding plated seven or more in one frame, and scored two more in the third to lead 9-3. The Bisons scored eight in the second inning against Lane last Tuesday.

That lead did not hold.

Southern Arkansas scored four in the fourth to cut the Harding lead to 9-7. The Muleriders added one in the sixth and four more in the seventh to take the lead for good.

Trailing 1-0, Harding had six hits in the second with freshman Ben Brauss blasting a grand slam to put the Bisons ahead 6-1. Harding loaded the bases again after the home run, and Zach Beasley's walk pushed across the seventh run of the inning. Brauss' grand slam was Harding's second of the season.

Southern Arkansas answered with a sacrifice fly from Blake Hall and an RBI double by Trevor Rucker to cut Harding's lead to 7-3.

In the third, Grant Guest ripped an RBI single and Luke Van Dover walked with the bases loaded to push Harding's advantage to six runs. Southern Arkansas starter Connor Wells came out after Guest's RBI. He allowed nine earned runs on eight hits over 2 1/3 and gave way to Pake Montgomery.

Through three innings, Harding had eight hits, five walks and three hit-by-pitches. The Bisons left seven runners on the rest of the way and did not score again.

Jacob Richardson had a three-run double in Southern Arkansas' four-run fourth. Mason Faulkner replaced Harding starter Austin Allen in the fifth. Allen allowed seven runs on nine hits over four innings.

Rucker homered to left in the sixth to cut Harding's lead to 9-8.

Southern Arkansas parlayed a leadoff single and three doubles in the seventh into four runs. The Muleriders tied the game on an RBI double from Jake Tisevich, and Michael Page's run-scoring double gave Southern Arkansas the lead.

Faulkner (2-4) took the loss, allowing five runs in his four relief innings. Montomgery (2-1) did not give up a run over 5 2/3 innings and earned the win. Makenzy Larsen pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his sixth save.

Southern Arkansas jumped out to a 9-0 lead after three innings in game two. The Muleriders scored three runs in each of the first three innings. Rucker had a two-run home run in each of the first two innings and a sacrifice fly in the third.

Southern Arkansas scored all nine runs against Harding starter Reed Roberts (1-6), who exited after the third inning.

Connor McVay replaced Roberts and allowed only one hit and no runs over the next three innings.

Harding started its comeback in the fourth. Brauss drove in Beasley with a single, and Tyler Mohr scored an unearned run on a throwing error. The Bisons cut the lead to 9-3 in the fifth. Van Dover doubled to lead off the inning and came around to score on Beasley ground ball to second.

Harding left the bases loaded in the sixth and needed six to tie in the top of the seventh.

They almost got there. Harding scored three runs on five hits and had the bases loaded and the go-ahead run at bat when the game ended.

Jesse Cox, Brody Ninemire and Guest each had RBIs in the seventh.

Southern Arkansas starter Dalton Algiene (10-1) earned the win. He went five innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits with eight strikeouts. Jacob Stroder got the last three outs for his second save.

Harding had 12 hits in game two and was led by Beasley, who went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. It was his eighth multi-hit game and his third three-hit game this season.

The teams conclude the series Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
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