ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Henderson State took the second game of Monday's doubleheader with Oklahoma Baptist, earning a split on the day and clinching its first Great American Conference series win of the year.
The Reddies (11-4, 3-1) return to action at Dee White Field this weekend, when they face Harding, with doubleheaders set for 4 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday.
GAME TWO: Henderson State 7, Oklahoma Baptist 4
The Reddies got three hits from both
Madie Green and
Courtney Warren and came through with three runs in the top of the seventh to defeat the Lady Bison 7-4 in the late game of Monday's doubleheader.
With things knotted up at 4-4 going into the final inning of play,
Nadia Ballarin found her way on base, then reached second after a grounder off the bat of
Kailey Reese was mishandled, leaving the Reddies with two runners on base with just one out. The next batter, Warren, hit a screaming line drive into centerfield for a bases-loading single, which brought
Alexis Morton to the plate.
Morton showed great patience with the bases juiced and earned an RBI walk to put Henderson in front 5-4.
Bethany Allen did her part on the next at-bat as well, when the shortstop tried to go home with the throw off of Allen's bat, but was late with it, earning Allen a fielder's choice and an RBI to make it 6-4.
The Reddies got a gift on the final run of the inning. After
Lindsey Williams seared a line drive straight into the glove of the OKBU third baseman for the second out, the third baseman attempted to get the double play by going back across the diamond to first base. The throw went wide, however, which advanced all three runners and helped Warren score Henderson's third run of the inning. Leading 7-4, starter
Michelle Sorensen shut the Lady Bison down in the bottom half, striking out the side to help the Reddies win it and take three of the four games in the series.
Sorensen got her fifth win of the season in the circle by going 7.0 innings and allowing four runs, on eight hits while striking out seven batters. Green and Warren each had three hits on the day, while Williams and
Christianna Camp both had two. Camp also added a team-high two RBIs.
Henderson got on the board first in the third inning, when back-to-back doubles from Green and Camp gave the Reddies a 1-0 advantage. The lead was pushed out to 3-0 in the fifth, after an RBI bunt single from Green scored Allen from third, and a Camp single drove in Williams. OKBU tied things up in the bottom of fifth when Bry Flanagan came through with a bases-loaded double that scored all three runners. The Reddies took the lead once more in the sixth when Williams singled into left field to score Warren, but the Lady Bison tied it back up in the sixth on an RBI double from Cheyenne Demaree, which scored the OKBU's pinch runner from second base.
GAME ONE: Oklahoma Baptist 5, Henderson State 3
Henderson carried a one-run lead into the bottom of the sixth, but Oklahoma Baptist put up three runs in the inning to rally and defeat the Reddies 5-3 in the first game of the day.
The Lady Bison took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a bases-loaded double from Hailey Seago, but Henderson regrouped in the fourth. After
Ashleigh Erb and
Kailey Reese were hit by pitches and
Alexia Lopez walked, the Reddies had the bases loaded with no outs.
Courtney Warren got the first run on the board with an RBI ground out to score Erb and make it 2-1.
Nadia Ballarin did the same on the next at-bat, which allowed pinch runner Brooklyn Jimeson to score and tie the game. The next batter,
Bethany Allen, came up with an infield single which plated Reese and gave Henderson a 3-2 advantage.
The Reddies held the lead until the bottom of the sixth, when OKBU finally got going. With the bases loaded and two outs in the inning, Kristen Grabin came up with a single into left, which was compounded by a fielding error in the outfield. The hit and error helped plate all three runners, making it 5-3 OKBU and swinging the tide in the Lady Bison's direction.
Henderson, down to its final three outs, attempted to rally, and brought the tying run to the plate three times after Allen walked to give the Reddies a base runner, but could not come through with a hit, as OKBU shut down the next three batters to close it out and secure its only win of the series.
Sydney Bonner got the loss for the Reddies, despite 4.0 innings of solid relief where she gave up three runs on six hits. Starter
Kaitlyn Felder got no-decision after going just 2.0 innings and allowing two runs on three hits. Henderson had just three hits on the day — by far its lowest total of any game in the series. Allen, Warren and Ballarin each had an RBI for the Reddies.
