Harding University swept a regular season-ending, three-game Great American Conference baseball series from Arkansas Tech University at Jerry Moore Field in Searcy on Friday and Saturday.
The Wonder Boys (27-21 overall, 19-14 GAC) will be the No. 5 seed in the GAC Tournament, which will be played at David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid, Okla. It will be a double elimination tournament.
Tech will face No. 2 seed Southern Arkansas University in a first-round game at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 5. Live coverage will be available at www.arkansastechsports.com.
Game One: HU 10, Tech 4
Nolan Fertig went 3-for-5 with a home run and four runs batted in to lead Harding to a 10-4 victory over Arkansas Tech in the series opener on Friday.
Austin Allen (4-5) pitched the first eight innings for the Bisons. He limited the Wonder Boys to three runs on six hits while striking out four.
Kyle Gibbs and Korey Thompson drove in two runs apiece for Arkansas Tech.
Game Two: HU 11, Tech 0
Tanner Smith pitched a four-hit shutout and Harding rapped out 14 base hits while defeating Arkansas Tech 11-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Smith (6-5) recorded two strikeouts in the mercy-rule shortened win.
The first five hitters in the Bisons’ line-up were a combined 12-for-17 (.706) with five runs batted in and 10 runs scored.
Tech’s Jake Harvey went 2-for-2.
Game Three: HU 6, Tech 4
Run-scoring base hits by Luke Van Dover and Zach Beasley made the difference in a 6-4 Harding victory over Arkansas Tech in the series finale on Saturday.
Van Dover’s RBI single and Beasley’s RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning allowed the Bisons to break a 4-4 tie and set what proved to be the final score.
Harding relievers Mason Faulkner and Reed Roberts combined for two scoreless and hitless innings to seal the sweep. Roberts was credited with his fourth save of 2018.
Jackson Ward (7-2) pitched the first five innings for Harding. He was charged with four runs on six hits.
Shane Pollard was 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Wonder Boys.
