SEARCY, Ark. -- Junior Coulton Doyle homered twice in a game for the second time this season, but the Harding Bisons fell to the McKendree Bearcats 10-5 Saturday in the three-game series finale at Jerry Moore Field. Harding won both games of Friday's doubleheader.

Senior Joel Barker (1-1) got the ball to start for Harding (5-1) and took the loss. Sophomore Ross Shirey was a bright spot for the Bisons, coming out of the bullpen and throwing 4.2 innings, giving up one run on two hits, with two walks and four strikeouts, retiring 11 straight hitters at one point.

Doyle went 2-for-5 with three RBIs. He also hit two home runs in a win at Christian Brothers earlier this season. Doyle is only the second Harding player in the last 10 seasons to hit two home runs in a game at Jerry Moore Field. Nolan Fertig hit two against Southwestern Oklahoma in 2019. Senior Chris Witzke went 2-for-4 with a triple, his third multi-hit game of the series. Senior David Butterfield also chipped in for the Bisons, going 1-for-4 with a double, a walk and an RBI. He extended his on-base streak to 35 games.

Doyle is only the fifth Harding batter in the NCAA era (since 1997) to homer twice in a game two times in the same season, joining Adam Darby (2009), Justin Cone (2002), Morgan Trotter (2002) and Tim Bowser (2005). Cone did it three times in 2002.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Bisons were trailing 3-0 in the first inning when they first put runs on the board. Harding plated two runs when Doyle left the yard with Butterfield aboard.

The Bisons deficit expanded to 6-2 before their offense got back on the scoreboard, cutting into that deficit in the third inning. Harding picked up a run on Doyle's one-out solo home run off of sophomore Ryan Drayer, which tightened the Bearcats lead to 6-3.

McKendree expanded their lead to 7-3 before the Harding offense got back to work, reducing that lead to 7-4 in the sixth.

Harding had the bases loaded with one out in the seventh but did not score.

The Bearcats expanded their lead to 10-4 before the Harding offense got back in action, cutting into that lead in the ninth. The Bisons sent in a run on Butterfield's two-out RBI double, tightening the McKendree lead to 10-5. 

GAME NOTES
» Harding pitchers faced 45 McKendree hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and 12 fly balls while striking out nine.
» Doyle led the Bisons at the plate, going 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBIs.
» McKendree was led offensively by senior Joseph Costanzo, who went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
» Drayer led the Bearcats pitching staff, throwing five innings of three-run ball to earn the win.