SEARCY, Ark. – Ouachita Baptist swept both games of a Great American Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday, defeating Harding 12-2 and 6-5 at Jerry Moore Field.
With the losses, Harding fell to 10-6 overall and 4-5 in the GAC. Ouachita Baptist won all three games in the series and moved to 11-6 overall and 8-1 in conference.
Harding plays a nonconference midweek game Tuesday at Union (Gulf South Conference) in Jackson, Tennessee. The Bisons are at Henderson State in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, next weekend in GAC action.
GAME 1 | Ouachita Baptist 12, Harding 2
Senior Cody Smith went 2-for-4 to lead Harding in game one.
Sophomore Maddox Long (2-2) started and took the loss on the mound for Harding. The Bisons' top pitching performance came from reliever Luke Johnson, who allowed only one earned run in 3.1 innings.
Senior David Butterfield compiled a standout day at the dish as well, going 2-for-4. Junior Michael Dewald also chipped in, going 1-for-4 for Harding with an RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bisons were trailing 10-0 in the sixth inning when they first put runs on the board. Dewald's run-scoring single highlighted a two-run inning for Harding.
GAME NOTES
» It was Smith's third multi-hit game of the season ... he extended his hitting streak to six games and his on-base streak to 11 games.
» Butterfield had his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
» Harding drew a season-low two walks and went without an extra-base hit for only the second time this season.
» Nine of Ouachita's 13 hits came with runners on.
» Wyatt Core was 4-for-5 for Ouachita, becoming only the second Harding opponent to have four hits in a game this season … the other was Corey Price of McKendree on Feb. 11 (4-for-5).
» Harding pitchers faced 45 Ouachita Baptist hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and 10 fly balls while striking out seven.
» Ouachita Baptist was led offensively by junior Tallon Heine, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs.
» Junior Cooper Timmons led the Tigers pitching staff, throwing six innings of two-run ball.
GAME 2 | Ouachita Baptist 6, Harding 5
SEARCY, Ark. --Four Harding players collected multiple hits, but the Bisons fell to the Ouachita Baptist Tigers 6-5 Saturday.
Harding entered the seventh and final inning down 6-4. The Bisons had four singles in the inning with Dewald driving in Witzke, but Harding could not push across the tying run.
Senior Joel Barker (3-2) started and took the loss on the mound for Harding. He allowed five earned runs in 4.1 innings. Reliever Dylan Adcock yielded one run in 2.2 innings.
Doyle led the hit barrage for the Bisons, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Dewald was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Witzke and Smith also had multi-hit games for the Bisons.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bisons got on the board first with one run in the bottom of the first inning. Smith came across to score the lone run of the inning.
The Bisons lost the lead they built in the first, but got back on the board in the fourth trailing 3-1. Butterfield came across to score the lone run of the inning for Harding, which tightened the Tigers lead to 3-2.
Ouachita Baptist built their lead to 5-2 before the Harding offense got back to work, reducing that lead to 5-4 in the fifth. The Bisons drove two runs across on a two-run double off the bat of Doyle that brought home senior Owen Martin and Smith.
GAME NOTES
» Doyle had his eighth multi-hit game and fourth with three hits or more … his double was his sixth of the season, tying Butterfield for the team lead … Doyle leads the team in all three slash stats at .377/.457/.820.
» Witzke had his team-leading ninth multi-hit game.
» Dewald had his fourth multi-hit game.
» Smith had his fourth multi-hit game, extending his hitting streak to seven games and his on-base streak to 12 games.
» The Bisons out-hit the Tigers at a 12-11 clip.
» Bisons drew a season-low one walk.
» Harding went 4-for-12 (.333) with runners in scoring position.
» Harding pitchers faced 34 Ouachita Baptist hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out four.
» Ouachita Baptist was led offensively by junior Dustin Bermudez, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs.
