ADA, Okla. – Harding baseball used a relentless offensive attack in the first three innings and a stellar long-relief appearance from Austin Kelley to defeat East Central 13-10 on Friday afternoon at Ken Turner Field in the Great American Conference series opener.
The afternoon was headlined by a historic milestone for senior shortstop Cooper Newsom. With a two-run double in the third inning, Newsom recorded the 58th double of his career, breaking the Harding school record of 57 previously held by Luke Van Dover (2017-21).
Harding's aggressive play on the basepaths also reached a statistical peak during the contest. The Bisons extended their remarkable streak of consecutive stolen bases without being caught to 46 straight. The streak finally came to an end in the seventh inning when the Tigers managed to catch a Harding runner, marking the first time the Bisons were unsuccessful on a steal attempt in several weeks. (For comparison, the MLB record is 39. There is no official NCAA record.)
The Bisons (12-8, 9-4 GAC) jumped on the Tigers early, scoring 13 runs in the first three frames before the bullpen locked down a late East Central rally to secure the victory.
Harding's offense wasted no time, plating three runs in the first inning highlighted by a Collin Helms home run. The lead swelled in the second as the Bisons sent ten men to the plate, scoring five runs on three hits and three walks. Newsom's record-breaking knock in the third served as the exclamation point on another five-run frame that gave Harding a commanding 13-0 lead.
Dom Davis provided much of the thump in the early going, finishing the day 4-for-6 with two RBIs and a double. Newsom and Jack Opoien also finished with two RBIs apiece, while Logan Lacey and Easton Jones each added doubles to the 14-hit effort.
However, East Central (7-15, 4-9 GAC) refused to go quietly. The Tigers struck back in the bottom of the fifth, erupting for seven runs against Harding starter Kyle Lane and reliever CJ Ricaurte to cut the deficit to 13-7. The Tigers added three more in the sixth to pull within three runs, threatening to complete a historic comeback.
With the momentum swinging heavily toward the home dugout, Austin Kelley (2-2) entered the game and silenced the Tigers' bats. Kelley provided 3.1 innings of scoreless relief, surrendering only three hits and striking out four. He sat down the Tigers in order in the bottom of the ninth, punctuated by a Max Tremblay groundout to shortstop to end the game.
Kyle Lane earned a no-decision in his start, pitching 4.2 innings and striking out six while allowing 10 hits. Kelley earned the win for his lights-out performance in relief.
Harding showed discipline at the plate throughout the afternoon, drawing nine walks as a team, with Nathan Bowie and Jack Opoien each reaching via free pass three times.
The two teams will conclude the series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at noon. Coverage will be available on HardingSports.com.
