Echo Sports

The UCA baseball team squandered a chance for their second straight conference sweep Sunday when Harding’s Justin Cone hit a pair of home runs to help the Bisons win the final game of a three-game series, winning 7-6 at Jerry Moore Field in Searcy.

Cone was three for five with five RBIs as the Bisons (11-9, 2-4) collected 11 hits off two UCA pitchers.

UCA used a five-run third inning to take a 5-2 lead. Junior outfielder Brian Post smacked a three-run homer to right center that scored Zak Clark and Barrett Ward. Drew Sadler then singled in another run.

Harding closed it to 5-4 in the bottom of the inning, but the Bears added a single run in the fourth on Ward’s solo home run to left field.

But the Bisons scored once in the bottom of the fourth and went ahead for good with two runs in the sixth.

UCA (13-13, 5-1) committed three errors and had just eight hits.

The Bears swept the Bisons in a Saturday afternoon double header.

UCA took a 1-0 win in the opener and an 8-6 extra-innings victory in game two.

Harding came back from a 6-4 deficit in game two with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings.

UCA came back in the top of the eighth against Harding reliever Larry Lovett (1-1). Lovett walked Post and Roger Lenderman to open the inning. Cone relieved Lovett, but allowed singles to Matt Warren and Wes Sanford.

Clark (1-0) earned the win with 1.1 innings of hitless relief.

A pair of the GSC’s top hurlers squared off in game one. Harding’s Mark Connett entered the game with nine consecutive victories dating back to last season, and Central Arkansas’ Drew Parr came in with a team-best 1.75 earned run average.

With two out in the first, Connett (4-1) hit Clark and walked Post. Lenderman then lined a single to center to score Clark with the game’s only run.

Next up for the Bears is Delta State this weekend.