SEARCY, Ark. - With the help of nine different pitchers and 12 hits, the Ouachita Tigers defeated the Harding Bisons, 9-8, in a nine-inning thriller on Tuesday. Bo Sutton earned his first career win for the Tigers, and Jorden Lawrence recorded his first career save.
Harding (11-13) took the early lead in the ball game, scoring one run in the first and three in the third. Ouachita's offense came alive in the top of the fourth, however, as the Tigers exploded for five runs to take the lead.
The inning started with a single by Justin Weigle, followed by a double from Will Wallace. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Victor Draijer walked to pick up his ninth RBI of the season. Austin White singled immediately after to score Wallace, and Aaron Studdard picked up his fifth RBI of the season on an infield single to shortstop. Ouachita then added two more runs on consecutive fielder's choice, before Harding finally forced the third out.
The Bisons responded in the bottom of the fifth, with three runs to take a 7-5 lead. Ouachita (7-14) allowed just one hit in the inning, but one walk and two hit batters allowed Harding to load the bases before clearing them on a triple to right field.
In the top of the sixth, Studdard led off another Ouachita rally with a two-out single. After Chandler Blake was hit by a pitch, Drew Feuerbacher tripled down the right field line to tie the score at seven.
After Sutton recorded the first strikeout of his career and held the Bisons scoreless in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Tigers took their second lead of the game in the seventh. Preston Speers recorded his 10th RBI of the season on a double to put the Tigers ahead, and an error later in the inning allowed Speers to score and put Ouachita ahead 9-7.
The eighth inning was one of only two scoreless innings in the contest, and the Tigers were held without a run in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, Lawrence stepped on the mound for Ouachita but allowed a lead-off walk. An error later in the inning allowed Harding to put runners on second and third, and the Bisons then pulled within one run on a single to right field.
During the single, however, Feuerbacher was able to throw a runner out at home from right, and then White threw another runner out at second to end the game.
Brian Krikorian, Jacob Knight, Lance Cullum, Jayme Lovelace and Sutton highlighted the pitching for Ouachita, combining for five scoreless innings and only three hits allowed.
Feuerbacher led the offense, recording two hits and two runs batted in. Weigle, Speers, Wallace and Studdard each added two hits, as well. Studdard recorded his third consecutive multi-hit game in the victory and has maintained a batting average of .370 since recording his first career hit on Feb. 28.
Ouachita will return to conference play on Friday, March 18, when the Tigers travel to Magnolia to take on Southern Arkansas. The first pitch of game one is scheduled for 6 p.m.
