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Harding University Athletics

Nolan Fertig
Jeff Montgomery
3
Southeastern Okla. SOSU 15-18, 10-10 GAC
5
Winner Harding HU 16-17, 8-12 GAC
Southeastern Okla. SOSU
15-18, 10-10 GAC
3
Final
5
Harding HU
16-17, 8-12 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Southeastern Okla. SOSU 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 9 0
Harding HU 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 X 5 12 0

W: Smith, Tanner (4-4) L: Greg Hubbell (3-2)

1
Southeastern Okla. SOSU 15-19, 10-11 GAC
4
Winner Harding HU 17-17, 9-12 GAC
Southeastern Okla. SOSU
15-19, 10-11 GAC
1
Final
4
Harding HU
17-17, 9-12 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Southeastern Okla. SOSU 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0
Harding HU 0 0 0 0 3 1 X 4 7 1

W: Ward, Jackson (5-1) L: Bryce Deatherage (3-2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | by Scott Goode (3/31/18)

Starting Pitching, Three-Run Innings Lift Harding Baseball to Doubleheader Sweep

SEARCY – Outstanding starting pitching and two key three-run innings led Harding to a doubleheader sweep and series victory over Southeastern Oklahoma Saturday in Great American Conference action at Jerry Moore Field.

Harding (17-17, 9-12) won the opener 5-3 and took game two 4-1. The Bisons moved into eighth place in the GAC standings and still have much work to do to climb into the top six and qualify for the GAC Tournament, but 10 wins in their last 12 games have the team headed in the right direction.

The three-run inning in game one came early. Grant Guest and Nolan Fertig, who both had three hits in the opener, reached ahead of Luke Van Dover, who crushed a 1-0 pitch into the wind and over the fence, just inside the left field foul pole. It was Van Dover's second home run of the season and allowed Harding starter Tanner Smith to pitch with the lead throughout the game.

Both teams scored single runs in the second. Harding's came on a Guest RBI single.

Neither team scored again until the seventh, when Harding pushed its lead to 5-1 on a two-out RBI single by Zach Beasley.

Smith (4-4) came out after seven. He allowed only one earned run on six hits over seven innings. It was the fourth time this season that Smith started a game and gave up only one run.

Southeastern (15-19, 10-11) scored two runs in the eighth, but Harding reliever Reed Roberts worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to retire the side and give the Bisons the victory.

Harding had 12 hits in game one, 11 of them off Southeastern starter Greg Hubbell (3-2), who allowed five earned runs and took the loss.

Jackson Ward (5-1) won his fourth straight start in game two. The only run he surrendered was in the third. Dan Weer walked to lead off the inning and scored on a Caleb Dubler single.

Trailing 1-0, the Bisons got to Savage Storm starter Bryce Deatherage (3-2) in the fifth. With two outs and the bases loaded, Fertig laced a pitch through the infield and into left center, scoring all three runners with his second double of the game.

Harding added an insurance run in the sixth on Jack Thomas's sacrifice fly, and Ward continued to put up zeros in Southeastern's row on the scoreboard.

Fertig was 3-for-3 in game two and had six hits in the doubleheader.

Harding returns to action Tuesday for a nonconference game at 6 p.m. against Ouachita Baptist.
 
In a pregame ceremony, Harding dedicated Jerry Moore Field's new lights in memory of Tom Hull, a former teammate of current head coach Dr. Patrick McGaha's when the two played together at Harding. Hull passed away at age 43, and many of his family members were present for Saturday's ceremony. The Bisons' teammate award is named for Hull and was awarded to senior first baseman Zach Beasley.

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