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Harding University Athletics

David Butterfield
Jeff Montgomery/Harding Universi
2
East Central ECU 4-34, 4-27 GAC
6
Winner Harding HU 21-17, 16-15 GAC
East Central ECU
4-34, 4-27 GAC
2
Final
6
Harding HU
21-17, 16-15 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
East Central ECU 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 10 0
Harding HU 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 1 X 6 11 2

W: Hoecker, Ty (4-4) L: R. Collins (1-7) S: Lawhorn, Joey (2)

0
East Central ECU 4-35, 4-28 GAC
7
Winner Harding HU 22-17, 17-15 GAC
East Central ECU
4-35, 4-28 GAC
0
Final
7
Harding HU
22-17, 17-15 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
East Central ECU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Harding HU 4 0 0 0 3 0 X 7 10 0

W: Yakel, Ryder (6-1) L: J. Chitty (0-4)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Scott Goode (5/7/21)

Baseball Bisons Sweep East Central to Lock Up GAC Tournament Spot

SEARCY – Two Harding fifth-year senior pitchers making their final starts at Jerry Moore Field shackled the East Central offense and led the Bisons to 6-2 and 7-0 victories in Great American Conference action. In the process, Harding clinched a spot in the upcoming GAC Tournament.

According to the GAC website, Harding is tied with three other teams with 17 wins going into Saturday's series finale at 1 p.m. Those four teams will make up spots 5-8 in the final standings.

Harding is 22-17 overall and 17-15 in the GAC. The Bisons have won the last six games in the series with the Tigers and have now won 12 of the last 13 meetings against East Central in Searcy.

In game one, senior Ty Hoecker (4-4) struck out eight over seven innings and allowed only two earned runs in the seventh inning. By that time, Harding already led 5-0.

Harding scored runs with two outs in the first and third innings. Cody Smith had an RBI single in the first. In the third, he tripled and scored on Chris Witzke's base hit.

Michael Chrisman tripled in a run in the fourth and scored on David Butterfield's double.

Caleb Stull had an RBI single in the fifth, and Butterfield concluded the scoring with another RBI double in the eighth.

East Central had 10 hits, but Hoecker worked out of trouble several times. In both the third and fourth innings, Hoecker left the bases loaded. The Tigers (4-35, 4-28) stranded 12 runners, going 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Joey Lawhorn came on to pitch the final two innings and earn his second save.

Harding had 11 hits, including a pair of doubles and two triples. Butterfield was 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs. It was the fourth time in his career he doubled twice in the same game.

Smith was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. He hit his team-leading sixth triple of the season, the most since Zac Stewart tied the school record with eight in 2016.

Michael Rosario was 4-for-4 for East Central, the third four-hit game by a Harding opponent this season.

Ryder Yakel (6-1) pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings to collect the win in game two. He struck out five and allowed only two hits and one walk.

Harding scored four in the first and never looked back. Connor Kelly had a two-run single, Witzke drove in a run with a single, and Caleb Stull hit a sacrifice fly.

The Bisons tacked on three more in the fifth with Butterfield and Smith driving in runs and another scoring on a double play with the bases loaded.

Harding reliever Tyler Turner got the last two outs in the sixth, and senior Thomas Barbara pitched a scoreless seventh.

Chrisman had two hits for his team-leading 21st multiple-hit game of the season. Butterfield went 2-for-3 and moved his batting average up to .401. He and Chrisman (.404) are both over the .400 mark.

Dillon Mansell had two of East Central's four hits.
 
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