Henderson State scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth-inning to rally for a 6-4 win over No. 17 Southern Arkansas, Tuesday at Clyde Berry Field in Arkadelphia, Ark.
Henderson, 27-17 on the season, collected nine hits in the game including five extra-base hits in the game including a pair of home runs, two doubles and a triple to beat the Muleriders.
Trailing 4-3,
Parker Jones started things for the Reddies with a double to left-center field and advanced on a
Joe Myers sacrifice bunt.
Dylan McCain then doubled to left field to score Jones to tie the game at 4-4.
Luke McGuire, pinch ran for McCain advanced to third on a ground out by
Nolan Ryan. McGuire scored on a passed ball to put the Reddies up by a run.
Henderson wasn't finished as
Jackson Martin walked and scored when
Alan Hall laced a triple to right-center field for the final run of the inning.
Relief pitcher
Blake Patterson entered the game in the final inning, retiring the side in order including to pick up his 10
th save of the year.
Southern Arkansas, 34-11, got on the board first putting up two runs in the third with the help of a two-run double by Mark Fontenot to give the Muleriders a 2-0 lead.
Henderson looked to put a big inning together in the fourth-inning as the Reddies loaded the bases getting a walk, hit batter and a single by Myers.
After a fielder's choice retired
Colton Coffman at home, Ryan forced in a run when he walked to cut the deficit to 2-1.
However, the Reddies could not plate a run as Hunter Vasquez retired the next two batters with a strike out and a ground out.
Henderson tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth as Coffman took Vasquez's 3-1 pitch over the left-center fence.
Not to be outdone, Myers began the sixth-inning with a solo home run of his own to give the Reddies a 3-2 advantage.
The Muleriders responded with two runs in the top of the seventh-inning with the big hit being a run-scoring triple by Sam Mrstik.
The Reddies used five pitchers in the game with
Austin Cross getting the start and pitching five solid innings. The Ashdown, Ark. native gave up two runs on five hits while striking out three batters in a no decision.
Coffman pitched the eighth-inning retiring the side in order to get the win and improve to 1-0.
The Reddies will play their final regular-season Great American Conference series as the Henderson travels across Highway 67 to face Ouachita Baptist beginning with a single game Friday at 3 p.m. at Rab Rodgers Field.
Â