Box Score

Henderson State scored runs in each of the final six innings as the Reddies beat Southern Nazarene 13-5, Friday at Clyde Berry Field in Arkadelphia, Ark.

The win improves Henderson State to 21-14 on the year and 13-8 in the Great American Conference, moving the Reddies one step close to clinching as spot in the GAC Tournament in three weeks.

The Reddies took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third-inning scoring without the benefit of a base hit.

The inning began with AJ Kruzel and Carlos Rodriguez both reaching on walks with Hunter Mayall moving both runners on a textbook sacrifice bunt.

SNU pitcher Marion Pinion elected to intentionally walk Claude Johnson, Henderson's leading hitter, but Jordan Taylor hit deep fly to centerfield to drive home Kruzel.

The Crimson Storm answered with a run in the top of the fourth-inning as Dalen Edgar singled to left field with Anthony Wiggins blasting a double to straight away centerfield to tie the score.

Henderson State regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, again scoring without a single hit as Lance Fields and Conner Brackhahn both reached when being hit by pitches from Pinion. Fields would later score on a Mayall sacrifice fly to put the Reddies on top 2-1.

The Reddies then tacked on three runs in the fifth-inning with Rodriguez leading things off with a sharply hit single to left field.

With one-out, Johnson collected his second hit of the game with Taylor lacing a double down the right field line to score Rodriquez.

Pinion then walked three straight batters as Tadarious Hawkins, Brackhahn and Hayden Lessenberry all received free passes to make the score 5-1.

Taylor drove in his third run of the game on another sacrifice fly in the sixth to put the Reddies on top 6-1, but SNU stormed back in the seventh as the Crimson Storm scored four runs to cut the deficit to one.

The Crimson Storm put together three straight hits to begin the inning including doubles by Caleb Teel and Brandon Dormaier. Following a walk issued to Cody Nelson, Ryan Black entered the game in relief of Reddie pitcher Colton Lorance.

Webster hit a ground ball that was mishandled by the Reddies which allowed a run to score. After SNU added three more runs with the help of a pair of walks, Hayden Daniel entered the game to pitch with the bases loaded. Daniel threw one pitch and forced Teel to ground out and end the inning with Henderson remaining on top 6-5.

In the bottom half of the inning, Brackhahn was hit by a pitch for a second time then the Reddies executed the hit-and-run to perfection as Lessenberry singled with Brackhahn advancing to third with no outs.

Kruzel drove in Brackhahn with a single while Rodriguez drove home Alex Morgan who pinch ran for Lessenberry to make the score 8-5.

Henderson continued the hit parade as Mayall singled home the third run of the inning followed by a two-run base hit by Lance Fields to make the score 11-5.

Hawkins drove home the final run of the inning with a single to right field that plated Fields.

Henderson State totaled 12 hits in the game with Mayall, Johnson, Brackhahn and Rodriguez having two hits each.

Lorance pitched 6-plus innings to pick up the win on the mound to improve to 3-3 on the year.

The two teams will finish the series with a double-header beginning at 1 p.m. at Clyde Berry Field.