Box Score
There were no last inning comebacks by the Augustana baseball team Wednesday, as the Harding College Bisons used the long ball to outlast the Vikings 5-4 in Searcy, Ark.
After a third straight game between the teams, the Vikings are 3-3 on the season, while Harding improves to 2-1.
Both teams ended the 9-inning rubber match with 8 hits apiece, but Adam Darby hit 2 home runs in clutch situations to propel the Bison to victory.
After 2 scoreless innings by both sides, the Vikings got things going as
Gates Cook got hit a pitch to lead off the third, which was followed by an
Andy Ahrendt full count walk.
Tim Shows then sent another full count pitch into centerfield for a single to score Cook. Shows then stole second to put runners on third and second.
After a strikeout,
Drew Heithoff doubled down the right field line to score both runners and put the Vikings up 3-0 going into the bottom of the third.
But the Bison were quick to return the favor in the bottom half of the inning.
With 2 on and 2 out, Darby fought starting pitch
JaColby Anderson through 8 pitches before sending a 3-run home run in the right center bleachers to tie the game up.
Then in the sixth with score still tied at 3, it was déjà vu all over again.
J.D. Glenn led off with a double to left field and on the very next pitch, Darby sent his second home run of the game over the fence in left center to take a 5-3 lead.
In the seventh, Augie tried to get things going when Cook scored on a Heithoff sacrifice fly to left field to make it a 1 run game, but that was as close as Augustana would get.
With a man on second and third, the Vikings offense stalled and remained quiet for rest of the game.
Anderson (0-1) took the loss on the mound, going 7 innings for Augustana in his first outing of the season. Anderson gave up 5 runs on 8 hits and 2 home runs while striking out 3.
Bret Severtson held the Bison hitless in the eighth in 1 inning of relief.
Josh Creveling started on the mound for the Bison, holding Augie to 3 earned runs on 5 hits in 4 innings of work, while Kyle Kline (1-0) got the win, allowing 1 run on 3 hits in 5 innings of work.
Offensively, Gates went 2-for-3 and scored 2 runs, while Heithoff went 1-for-4 with 3 RBI.
Darby went 2-for-4 with 2 homeruns and 3 RBI to lead the Bison.
Augustana will get back to action in a double header against Henderson State University on Feb. 21 in Rolla, Mo. The first game is scheduled to begin at noon.