Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 Searcy, Ark.—After suffering two losses earlier in the week to Hillsdale Baptist (2-3, 4-6), the Aggies were unable to find redemption on the road as they were swept in a three-game series against Harding University Friday and Saturday.

With just nine hits on the weekend OPSU hitters were held to a .118 overall batting average, while their opponent averaged .341 and sent eight hits for extra bases in the series. The Aggies struggled on the mound allowing 29 hits and 19 earned runs through twenty innings. A total of ten pitchers saw playing time for OPSU and combined for an 8.55 ERA; the Bisons pitched four and finished the series with an ERA of .39 with just one run earned by the Aggies.

Shutout in Friday's doubleheader the Aggies took a 0-10 loss in game one and a 0-5 loss in game two, with each lasting seven innings. Saturday saw one run score for the Aggies in the nine-inning contest; Harding took their third victory 10-1 over OPSU.

Freshman shortstop Ivan Silva had the first hit of the day for the Aggies, with a one-out single in the opening inning of game one. Silva stole second but was left on base with a strikeout and groundout that followed. Austin Hale and Juan Rubayo each hit singles to right field in Friday's first game, but neither runner saw home plate. The Bison brought in two runs in the first and one in the second and held a 3-0 lead through the third. Two fielding errors by the Aggies in the bottom of the fourth helped add five more runs to board for Harding; and a fourth error in the sixth brought the final two runs in for the Bison.

Samuel Beattie took the loss for OPSU, pitching 3.2 innings and giving up seven hits including a double and one triple for eight runs scored (six earned); Beattie sat down six with strikeouts. Logan Litton relieved Beattie for the final 2.1 innings and gave up four hits for two runs, earned. Andrew Fiddler got the win for Harding with three hits and four strikeouts in the seven-inning shutout.

Sophomore Adrian Lopez took the mound for the Aggies in game two and was replaced after 3.1 innings by Joel Perez; Lopez allowed four earned runs on four hits, two of them doubles. Perez controlled the plate for 1.2 innings and left the Bison hitless on three fly-outs, one groundout and one strikeout. Daniel Ward finished things off in the sixth and gave up two hits and the fifth earned run for the Bison.

The Aggies had four hits in game two including a big triple by Derek Stallworth in the second inning with two outs; the third out followed and Stallworth's hit went wasted. Joseph Cerda hit singles in the first and fourth innings and Dehryn Noriega stepped up in the seventh with a single through the left side. Hunter Payne was credited with the win for Harding and threw a solid seven innings with ten strikeouts in 24 at bats.

Down 0-4 going into the fourth inning the Aggies' lead-off hitter, Joseph Cerda, reached base on balls and was brought home on an RBI single by Austin Beckner with one away. A sac-bunt by Rubayo advanced Beckner to second, but a fly-out sent him back to the dugout. Another five-run inning in the fourth for the Bison brought back the bad memories from game one. The Aggies were held hitless through the last five innings of the game, and the tenth run scored for Harding in the bottom of the seventh. Quinn O'Neill and Austin Beckner had the only OPSU hits in game three; O'Neill drove a double in the third and Beckner had the scoring single in the fourth.

Five Aggie pitchers saw playing time in game three with Austin Hubler taking the loss after opening for 3.1 innings with eight hits for seven runs (five earned). Hubler was followed up by Jordan Ankrum (1.2), Zane Grigsby (1.), Scott Cutright (1.0) and Eduard Lopez (1.0). The four relievers totaled four hits, three runs (two earned) and six strikeouts. Andrew Ralston got the win for Harding in six innings.

Aggie Baseball will hit their home field this week for five games starting with a nine-inning matchup against Fort Hays State on Wednesday, Feb. 17; first pitch is set for 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday the Aggies will play two double-headers with the University of Sioux Falls with game starting at Noon on Feb. 20 and 11 a.m. Feb. 21.