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Harding University Athletics

David Butterfield
Jeff Montgomery/Harding Universi
6
Harding HU 23-18, GAC
7
Winner Okla. Baptist OKBU 26-14, GAC
Harding HU
23-18, GAC
6
Final
7
Okla. Baptist OKBU
26-14, GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Harding HU 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 1 6 6 1
Okla. Baptist OKBU 0 4 0 0 1 0 0 2 X 7 8 1

W: Tyler Frank (4-2) L: Yakel, Ryder (6-2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Scott Goode (5/14/21)

Harding Baseball Comeback Foiled, Bisons End Season in GAC Tournament

SHAWNEE, Okla. – A ninth-inning rally came up 90 feet short Friday as the Harding baseball team fell 7-6 to Oklahoma Baptist in the opening round of the Great American Conference Tournament.

Oklahoma Baptist senior catcher Ramon Enriquez broke a tie with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to put his team ahead 6-5. A bases-loaded hit by pitch extended the lead to two runs.

In the ninth, Brendan Perrett walked with two outs. Michael Chrisman's 12th double of the season moved him to third and an error on David Butterfield's ground ball closed the gap to a single run. The Bisons could not get the big hit they needed, stranded Chrisman at third and saw their season end with a 23-18 overall record.

Oklahoma Baptist (26-14) advances to meet the winner of Henderson State and Southern Arkansas on Monday in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Oklahoma Baptist scored four runs in the second. Hector Ruvalcaba led off the inning with his seventh double of the season.  He scored on Colin Prince's ground out. With two on and two out, Kade Self, making only his fifth start, hit a three-run homer to center to give Oklahoma Baptist a 4-0 advantage.

Harding plated three over the next two innings to pull within 4-3. Butterfield led off the fourth with a single and scored on Connor Kelly's sacrifice bunt. Chris Witzke led off the fifth with a single, and Caleb Stull launched his second homer of the season, scoring two.

Harding changed pitchers after one batter in the fourth. Starter Ty Hoecker walked Eric Carlson before GAC Pitcher of the Year Ryder Yakel (6-2) came on to get the next three hitters.

Cliff Pradd pushed Oklahoma Baptist back out to a two-run lead with a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the fifth. It was his 14th home run this season.

Harding struck again with a two-run homer in the eighth. Butterfield walked with one out before Harrison Heffley blasted his team-leading ninth home run to left field to tie the game at 5-5. Kelly doubled after the homer and knocked starter Jake Lipetzky from the game.

Enriquez's home run made Oklahoma Baptist reliever Tyler Frank (4-2) the winning pitcher.

Hoecker started and went 3.0 innings, allowing four earned runs on three hits with four walks and two strikeouts. Yakel struck out eight with only one walk over the final five innings.

Harding had six hits from six different players.

Butterfield reached base in his 29th straight game and finished the season with a .403 batting average, the first .400 hitter for Harding since Jason Nappi hit .413 in 2010.
 
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