Box Score

Henderson State ran into one of the top offensive teams in the country as No. 2 Catawba beat the Reddies 5-1 at the NCAA DII National Championships in Cary, N.C.
 
The Reddies, 32-20 on the season, suffered their first loss of the tournament and will play an elimination game against Angelo State in a rematch on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
 
Catawba, hitting .315 on the season, struck for two runs in the first-inning with the help of back-to-back doubles by Blake Houston and Austin Stilley.
 
The Indians, ranked No. 2 nationally, put together four hits in the fourth-inning with Chance Bowden providing the big blow, a three-run double to increase the Catawba lead to 5-0.
 
Catawba pitcher Sean Grant kept the Reddies in check for the most part as the junior left-hander surrendered just one hit through five innings.
 
Henderson State broke through in the sixth as Hunter Mayall extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a single and advanced to second on a fielder's choice.
 
Lance Fields would then single to right field to score Mayall, but the inning ended as Luke Setzer threw to second base to get Claude Johnson who was caught off the bag.
 
Hayden Lessenberry, who had two hits in the game, led off the seventh with a single but was forced out at second on a Tadarious Hawkins ground out.
 
Conner Brackhahn blasted a shot back up the middle but was robbed as Grant made a great play to turn what should have been a single into a double play to end the inning and a potential Reddie threat.
 
The Reddies would get one more hit in the game as Carlos Rodriguez hit a smash down the left field line for a double but the Reddies were unable to force Rodrigiez home.
 
Chris Hunt went 7-plus innings on the mound and would give up five runs on 11 hits. The sophomore from Greenwood, Ark. falls to 6-4 on the year.