On Saturday, the Harding Bisons baseball team won the series against Southern Nazarene University with a doubleheader sweep at Jerry Moore Field. Harding took a 9-4 win in the opening game and took game two 6-2. However, Southern Nazarene defeated over the Bisons in the final game on Sunday.
Lucas Waddell, senior pitcher, tied a school record of 22 career wins in the opening game.
“I am happy for him (Lucas) and I think he really deserves it,” Patrick McGaha, Bison baseball head coach, said. “He has put in a lot of work and has done everything right since he has been here on the field, academically and in his social life. It is good to see a young man like that have success.”
The Bisons improved their overall record to 7-1 on Saturday. However, because of the loss on Sunday, their overall is now 7-2. In the final game, the Bisons led 4-3 until Southern Nazarene scored five runs in the sixth inning. According to Paul Anzalone, senior outfielder, their opponent’s starting pitcher threw a good game and the Bisons found it difficult to get him off the mound.
“We made some physical mistakes against a solid hitting team,” Anzalone said. “We played hard and got back in the game but it just wasn’t enough. That’s the way the game goes sometimes.”
While the final game did not go as the Bisons hoped for, Jeremy Bohnett, junior outfielder, said he can see good things happening in the future if they continue to work as hard every day.
“As a team, we are always finding ways to mature and get better,” Bohnett said. “There is something to learn from every game, win or lose, that can help us be better the next day.”
McGaha said the season has started off well, but after this loss he hopes the team will be motivated to come back with good practices and ready to go for the upcoming games.
“This bunch has really worked hard this year,” McGaha said. “They don’t have any quit about them and that is one thing I really like. I think if we will continue to stay together and keep working hard, these guys have some good things ahead of them.”
The Bisons play tomorrow at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in a doubleheader beginning at noon. On Sunday, March 3, the teams will play again for their third and last game at 1 p.m.
