Henderson State clubbed out 12 hits but it wasn't enough as No. 8 Southern Arkansas beat the Reddies 11-7, Friday in game one of a Great American Conference series in Magnolia, Ark.

The Reddies, 20-14 overall and 13-9 in the GAC, had plenty of chances to put up runs, but Henderson stranded 14 base runners.  

Trailing 2-0 after the first inning, the Reddies took a 4-2 lead in the top of the second-inning getting a two-run single by Kearon Redmon and a RBI single by Brentten Schwabb.

SAU, 27-7 overall and 20-2 in the GAC, answered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning and went on to build an 8-4 lead before the Reddies picked up a run in the fourth courtesy of Mulerider error.

The Muleriders extended their lead to 11-5, but the Reddies would cut into the deficit in the eighth as Nolan Ryan led off the inning with a solo home run. Henderson then loaded the bases as Hayden Lessenberry, Jordan Taylor and Parker Jones all singled.

Lessenberry scored on a Colton Coffman sacrifice fly but that was all the Reddies could manage in the inning.

Lessenberry led the Reddies offense going 3-for-4 with a run batted in, while Redmon was 1-for-3 with a RBI and Ryan 1-for-2 with a home run and run scored.

Luke Tebbetts suffered the loss on the mound falling to 6-2 on the season.

Jacob Stroder pitched 7 2/3 innings, striking out 12 batters to pick up the win for SAU.

The two teams will finish the series with a double-header beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday in Magnolia, Ark.