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Harding University Athletics

Chris Witzke
Madison Meyer
6
Winner Southern Arkansas SAU 28-7, 21-2 GAC
0
Harding HU 21-14, 12-11 GAC
Winner
Southern Arkansas SAU
28-7, 21-2 GAC
6
Final
0
Harding HU
21-14, 12-11 GAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Southern Arkansas SAU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 6 9 0
Harding HU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2

W: Jeremy Adorno (10-0) L: Long, Maddox (3-4)

4
Southern Arkansas SAU 28-8, 21-3 GAC
5
Winner Harding HU 22-14, 13-11 GAC
Southern Arkansas SAU
28-8, 21-3 GAC
4
Final
5
Harding HU
22-14, 13-11 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Southern Arkansas SAU 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 4 10 3
Harding HU 0 0 0 2 0 3 X 5 6 0

W: Barker, Joel (7-2) L: Santos Sosa (1-2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | by Scott Goode (4/9/22)

Baseball Bisons Split with No. 11 Southern Arkansas; Witzke Breaks HU Hitting Streak Record

SEARCY – Senior Chris Witzke broke Harding's record hitting streak record and the Bisons split a doubleheader Saturday with 11th-ranked Southern Arkansas at Jerry Moore Field. The Muleriders won the opener 6-0 with the Bisons taking game two 5-4.

With the split, Harding moved to 22-14 overall and 13-11 in the GAC. The Bisons are tied for fifth with Oklahoma Baptist and Arkansas Tech with the top eight teams earning a spot in the conference tournament. 

Witzke, a fifth-year senior from Dakota City, Iowa, hit a chopper up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to tie Billy Ninemire's school-record hitting streak of 15 games. Witzke broke the record in game two with an infield single in his second at-bat.

During the hitting streak, Witzke is 26-for-65 (.400) and raised his batting average from .305 to .347.

In the opener, Harding got another strong start from sophomore Maddox Long (3-4), who did not allow a run through the first seven innings.

Southern Arkansas scored four in the eighth and two in the ninth.

Harding had five hits in the opener, with singles from Cody Smith, Coulton Doyle, Witzke, Drew McNeel and Caleb Stull.

Senior Joel Barker (7-2) won his fourth consecutive start in game two. He became the first Harding pitcher to win seven games since Ryder Yakel in 2019. Collin Campbell (9-2 in 2014) was the last Bison pitcher with eight or more wins.

Harding trailed game two 4-2 entering the bottom of the sixth inning. Doyle led off the frame and reached on a throwing error. Another error on a potential double play left Harding with one out and Michael Dewald on second. Witzke singled through the right side to score Dewald and pull Harding to within one run.

Brendan Perrett reached on an infield single that moved Witzke to second. Both runners moved up a base on Stull's ground out and scored on a dropped fly ball off the bat of McNeel, giving the Bisons a one-run lead.

Barker allowed a single in the seventh but finished off the Muleriders thanks to a diving catch from Sawyer Price for the game's final out.

Witzke and Perrett combined for four of Harding's six hits, and Witzke had two RBIs.

Harding's next scheduled action is Tuesday at home against Mississippi College. First pitch will be at 3 p.m.
 
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