Sunday afternoon didn’t exactly go as planned for the Ouachita Tiger baseball team, as they fell to Harding in a rubber match that marked the end of their series. The Tigers fell by a score of 7-4, resulting in a series loss.
Harding (26-17, 15-12 GAC) put up the first run of the afternoon, scoring on a single up the middle in the first inning.
It took them a while to do it, but the Tigers (20-23-1, 12-15 GAC) tied the game up in the fifth on a single by Duncan Collins that allowed Matt Balogh to advance home. Ouachita then took the lead in the sixth, as McCrae Jones notched a 2 RBI single to right center, which was followed by a sacrifice fly from Landon Flax that scored Jones and gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead late in the contest.
A three run home run from Harding negated the Tigers’ lead though and tied the game in the bottom of the sixth.
Ouachita’s Josh Everett, who started the game, left the mound in the seventh in favor of Josh Reeves. Reeves, who entered the game with a 2-0 record on the year, struggled against the bats of the Bisons, as he gave up three runs in the eighth inning and allowed Harding to escape with a win and a series victory.
Jones finished the game 2-of-4 from the plate en route to picking up 2 RBIs and a run scored. Balogh finished 2-of-3 with a run scored.
The most notable performance of the game came from Harding’s Matt Calhoun, whose three run shot gave him a three RBI performance.
Harding used five pitchers in the contest, with Bronson Smith getting the win and Josh Spears recording the save.
The Tigers recorded 10 hits to Harding’s seven, but the Bisons’ eighth run performance was too much to overcome.
The Tigers return to the friendly confines of Rab Rodgers Field on Friday afternoon to close out their season with a series against rival Henderson State. The teams will play a single game on Friday beginning at 3 p.m., followed by a Saturday doubleheader that will begin at 1 p.m.
The Tigers are virtually eliminated from GAC Tournament contention after falling to Harding on Sunday, as Harding holds the sixth spot and would hold a tiebreaker over the Tigers if they were to end up knotted after next weekend’s games.
