The baseball team swept first-place University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) in a three-game Great American Conference (GAC) series this past weekend, April 8-9, at Weevils Field in Monticello.
Harding secured a 7-4 win over the Weevils on Friday, followed by 5-3 and 8-7 wins in the doubleheader on Saturday. The Bisons rose to 18-20 overall and 10-14 in the GAC.
“We just had a good week of practice that week before the games,” head coach Patrick McGaha said. “We were able to relax a bit before going to play Monticello and just play to our ability.”
In the third inning of game one, sophomore outfielder Chris Taylor and senior infielder Alan Copeland both drove in runs, giving Harding the 2-0 lead. UAM closed in with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, but in the fifth inning, Taylor sent in two runs with a bases-loaded single and Copeland launched a three-run home run, solidifying their 7-4 victory.
“Winning the first game was huge,” Taylor, the GAC Player of the Week, said. “We knew our backs were against the wall going against the number one, but we knew we had a chance to make it into the tournament picture, so we all did our jobs and came out with a satisfying win.”
In game two, Harding’s first score came in the sixth inning after senior infielder Noah Chandler hit a sacrifice fly that sent sophomore infielder Grant Guest to home plate. UAM took a 3-1 lead with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, until Taylor walked and scored on a two-out triple from senior outfielder Zac Stewart. Stewart then scored on a hit from senior outfielder Harrison Hunter, tying the game at 3.
In the 11th inning, Hunter scored on a double from Guest and then Guest scored on a double from senior catcher Jaxon Mohr, to push the Bisons to a 5-3 win.
In game three, Harding began with three runs in the top of the first inning, but UAM responded with two runs in the bottom of the first and four runs in the second to make the game 6-3. Harding trailed 7-4 in the sixth inning until Taylor scored off of a base hit from Mohr. With two men on base, senior catcher Davis Richardson hit his second homerun of the season to win the game 8-7 and the series 3-0.
“To sweep Monticello was a huge momentum swing for us,” sophomore pitcher Reed Roberts, GAC Pitcher of the Week, said. “It gave us a positive mindset for this weekend against Northwestern and reminded us that we are still more than capable at accomplishing all we want out of our season.”
According to Taylor, winning this series gave the team confidence going ahead. Taylor said that the season has not gone the way they wanted, but after this weekend, he felt like things are changing and the team is starting to believe in its ability.
“To sweep a series against the first place team in the conference was a big momentum booster for us,” McGaha said. “This weekend is a huge series against Northwest Oklahoma State. They’re behind us in the standings and the team that wins this series this weekend will probably have a leg up on making the conference tournament, so we’re hoping we can play well.”
