SEARCY, Arkansas – A pair of five-run innings for the Harding Bisons proved to be key in a 12-7 non-conference win over the Ouachita baseball team Tuesday night at Harding's Jerry Moore Field.
The Tigers were the first to strike, scratching across three runs in the top of the first inning, highlighted by an RBI groundout by
Gavin Jacobs and a bases-loaded walk from
Reece McWilliams.
Harding was next to score with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to make it 3-2 in favor of the Tigers. Ouachita extended its lead in the top of the fourth with two runs on a sac fly from
Isaac Nowell and an RBI single by
Jaxson Jester.
The first of two five-run rallies for the Bison came in the bottom of the fourth to give Harding its first lead of the game.
The Tigers manufactured a run in the seventh to cut the deficit down to one at 7-6 when
Gavin Jacobs scored on a wild pitch. Jacobs singled earlier in the inning to reach base, stole second, and then moved to third on a groundout.
The Bisons came back with five more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to go up 12-6. The final run for the Tigers came in the top of the ninth on a sac fly by McWilliams.
The Tigers finished with 10 hits in the loss for the team's sixth double-digit hit performance of the season. Jester, McWilliams, and
Austin Gathright each had two hits in the game.
Ouachita is now set to face Arkansas-Monticello on the road this weekend for a three-game Great American Conference series. The schedule for the weekend is likely to change due to the weather forecast. Updates will be posted to OBUtigers.com and official social media channels.
