Bryant Haralson pitched 7 2/3 innings, striking out nine batters to lead Henderson State to a 5-2 win over Northwest Missouri, Saturday at Clyde Berry Field.

The senior from Atkins, Ark. allowed just one hit in the contest to pick up the win and improve to 1-0 on the year.

Henderson, 3-2 on the season, scored the first run of the game in the third-inning to take the early lead.

Joseph Shepherd received a leadoff walk in the frame and was safe at second when Northwest Missouri second baseman Logan Rycraft was pulled off the bag on a Joe Myers fielder's choice. Zack Gray lined a shot to right-center field to score Shepherd from second.

Haralson began the game retiring the first 13 batters before surrendering a walk in the fifth to Jay Hrdlicka.

In the Reddie fifth, Brandon Pollock led off with a single to right field, followed by Myers being hit by a Brad Roberts pitch. Gray placed a perfect bunt down the third-base side to load the bases with no outs.

Roberts worked out of the inning striking out Langston with Pollock getting tagged out in a run down between third and home. After giving up a walk to Dylan
McCain to load the bases again, Roberts was able to strikeout Jackson Murphy to end the inning.

The Reddies, however, gave Haralson some insurance runs in the seventh as Henderson extended its lead to 4-0.

Gray led off the inning with a walk and advanced to third on a Taylor Langston single to right. McCain then reached on an infield single to load the bases with Henderson's first run of the inning coming when Murphy was hit by pitch to score Gray.

Langston then scored when Nolan Ryan grounded out to second base, moving pinch-runner Caleb Carr to third. Carr crossed the plate on a sacrifice bunt by Brentten Schwaab.

The Bearcats finally got to Haralson in the eighth-inning. The right-hander gave up a single and a two-out walk and exited the game with Spencer Taack entering the contest. After a balk call, Logan Rycraft laced a single to right field to score two runs and cut the deficit to 4-2.

NWMSU went on to load the bases to chase Taack with Langston moving from right-field to the mound. Langston got out of the inning as Luke Hassman popped up to end the inning.

The Reddies responded with a single run in the bottom half of the inning with the help of a NWMSU error and an infield bunt single by Myers.

Langston finished the game on the mound retiring all four batters he faced while striking out three batters to pick up the save.

Henderson totaled nine hits in the game with Pollock, Gray and Langston having two hits each.

Henderson will next take on Arkansas-Fort Smith on Sunday with the first pitch set for Noon at Clyde Berry Field.