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Harding University Athletics

Baseball
8
Arkansas Tech ATU 32-14, 22-9 GAC
11
Winner Harding HU 32-14, 22-9 GAC
Arkansas Tech ATU
32-14, 22-9 GAC
8
Final
11
Harding HU
32-14, 22-9 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Arkansas Tech ATU 0 0 1 5 0 2 0 0 0 8 15 2
Harding HU 0 3 0 1 4 0 1 2 X 11 10 0

W: Lobo, Javier (6-1) L: Grant Shahan (5-1)

2
Arkansas Tech ATU 32-15, 22-10 GAC
5
Winner Harding HU 33-14, 23-9 GAC
Arkansas Tech ATU
32-15, 22-10 GAC
2
Final
5
Harding HU
33-14, 23-9 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Arkansas Tech ATU 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 2
Harding HU 0 4 0 0 0 1 X 5 6 0

W: Jay, Merritt (6-3) L: Jack Rector (5-4)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Scott Goode (4/26/24)

Doubleheader Sweep Sets Up HU Baseball Championship Possibilities

SEARCY – With a doubleheader sweep of Arkansas Tech at Jerry Moore Field on Friday, the Harding baseball team has given itself a chance at no worse than a shared Great American Conference regular season championship and the possibility of its first outright conference championship in baseball since winning the NAIA Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference in 1984.

Harding won the opener 11-8, its fifth straight game scoring 10 or more runs for the first time in 16 seasons, and took game two 5-2.

Harding's record improved to 33-14 overall and 23-9 in conference. Arkansas Tech dropped to 32-15 overall and 22-10 in the GAC. The only other team with a chance at the regular season GAC championship is Arkansas-Monticello, who defeated Southern Arkansas 7-3 on Friday and has a 22-9 conference record with two games remaining Saturday.

Game one had plenty of runs and plenty of hits, but the eventual game-winning run came in the seventh without a hit. With the score tied 8-8, Michael Dewald walked to lead off the inning. With one out, Dewald tagged and advanced to second on a deep fly into the right field corner off the bat of Hayden Pike. Dewald raced to third on a wild pitch, and when the throw from the catcher sailed into left field, scored the go-ahead run.

The Bisons tacked on two more runs in the eighth on Logan Lacey's single to left that plated Nathan Bowie and Drew McNeel.

Coulton Doyle had his seventh double and second triple in the game and went 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Bowie also had two hits, including his 11th double.

Javier Lobo (6-1) entered the game in the seventh and pitched three scoreless innings for the win. It was Lobo's ninth straight appearance without allowing an earned run, covering 20.1 innings.

A huge second inning made all the difference in game two. Harding took advantage of two Tech errors and three singles, including one on a suicide squeeze bunt from Ty Kirkbride, to score four runs. McNeel and Lacey both had RBI singles in the inning.

That was all Harding starter Merritt Jay (6-3) needed. He allowed only three hits and struck out four in six innings. Kyle Lane came on and got the last three outs.

Lacey was 3-for-3, recording half of Harding's hits. It was his sixth three-hit game of the season.

Saturday's series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m., but the game time could be adjusted due to rain.
 
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