Box Score
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For the second straight day, the Henderson State baseball team knocked off a nationally-ranked opponent as the Reddies beat No. 17 Arkansas Tech 8-3, Friday at the Houston Winter Classic at Minute Maid Park.
 
Henderson State, 2-0 on the season, beat No. 22 Central Missouri on Thursday to open the tournament before recording the win over the Wonder Boys. It is the first time that the Reddies have beaten back-to-back nationally-ranked opponents since joining NCAA Division II in 1993.
 
With the game scoreless in the bottom of the third, the Reddies exploded for five runs in the inning with Claude Johnson providing the big hit in the frame.
 
Andrew Reynolds and Hunter Mayall both reached on one-out singles before Johnson stepped to the plate and blasted a Trent Armstrong pitch over the Minute Maid Park left field wall to put HSU on top 3-0.
 
Henderson wasn't finished as Tadarious Hawkins laced a double to right-center field to plat both AJ Kruzel who was hit by a pitch and Jordan Taylor who walked.
 
In the Henderson State fourth, Mayall got things started with an infield single followed by a Johnson single to right field. Mayall then scored on a Taylor fielder's choice to increase the Reddie lead to 6-0.
 
The Reddies added a run in the fifth on a Matt Evans single that scored Conner Brackhahn who reached on a base hit earlier in the inning. Henderson would tally another run in the sixth as the Reddies loaded the bases and Brackhahn walked to force home Johnson who hit a one-out double.
 
Meanwhile, Chris Hunt was pitching a gem as the sophomore from Greenwood, Ark. recorded six innings of shutout baseball without allowing a Wonder Boy hit. Hunt faced just three batters above the minimum to record the win.
 
Johnson collected three hits for the Reddies along with three runs batted in, while Brackhahn added three hits as well.
The Reddies will now face Tarleton State on Saturday with the first-pitch set for 10 a.m. at Minute Maid Park.