Box Score

Late inning doubles by AJ Kruzel and Joseph Gary led Henderson State to a 5-2 win over Northwestern Oklahoma, Saturday at Clyde Berry Field in Arkadelphia, Ark.

Henderson State, 12-19 on the season and 7-11 in the Great American Conference, swept the three-game series from the Rangers and extended its winning streak to five games.

It was a game that featured solid pitching, great defense and timely hitting by the Reddies.

Henderson State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first-inning as Hunter Mayall singled to left field to score Tadarious Hawkins who walked to lead off the game.

NWOSU, 15-13 and 5-10, tied the score in the third-inning and began to put together a big inning in the sixth.

The Rangers loaded the bases and had no outs when Joshua Caruso stepped to the plate to face Reddie pitcher Jay Hawley. The freshman from Queen City, Texas buckled down and recorded his sixth strike out of the game.

Hawley then got some much needed help from his defense as pinch hitter Christian Hammerl grounded to first baseman Hunter Mayall. Mayall relayed the ball to shortstop Matt Evans for the out at second. Evans quickly executed the turn and Hawley made an acrobatic play at first for the double-play to end the inning.

NWOSU managed to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh, but the Reddies answered in the bottom half of the inning.

With two outs, Conner Brackhahn reached on an infield single and Ashton Roberts then entered the game to run for Brackhahn.

Kruzel then belted a double to left field that caused problem for left fielder Joe Coto. Noticing Coto's troubles picking up the ball, head coach Cody Hooten waived Roberts around third and the junior from Benton, Ark. beat the tag of catcher Logan Porter at the plate to tie the game.

In the bottom half of the eighth-inning, the Reddies got a leadoff single by Mayall and a double by Gary to put runners on second and third with one-out.

Carlos Rodriguez received an intentional walk that loaded the bases. After pinch-hitter Luke McGuire hit a line shot to second baseman Colten Dickerman for the second out of the inning, Kruzel then walked to force in the go ahead run.

Leading 3-2, Will Powell gave the Reddies some insurance runs as the junior from Texarkana, Texas roped a two-run single up the middle to drive in two more runs.

Reddie relief pitcher Luke Tebbetts closed the door on the Rangers as the freshman from Winnsboro, Texas pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three batters to pick up the win and improve to 4-0 on the year.

Henderson State totaled seven hits in the game with Mayall and Gary having two hits each.

The Reddies will next travel to Magnolia, Ark. on Tuesday for a non-conference game against No. 4 ranked Southern Arkansas with the first pitch set for 6 p.m.