ALVA, Okla. — Henderson State rebounded from a close loss in the first contest on Sunday to take the second game 4-1 over host Northwestern Oklahoma State, and split the opening doubleheader with the Lady Rangers.
The Reddies (29-20, 21-17) face NWOSU again tomorrow in the second doubleheader of the Great American Conference series, with first pitch set for 11 a.m.
GAME TWO: Henderson State 4, Northwestern Oklahoma State 1
The Reddies used a three-run third inning, and a strong game in the circle from
Becca Almond, to get past NWOSU 4-1 and earn a split of the first doubleheader in Alva, Oklahoma.
Henderson led 1-0 through the first two innings, after an error on the Lady Ranger's third baseman allowed
Lindsey Williams to score in the opening frame.
In the third, the Reddies' bats got going. Back-to-back singles from
Olivia Trapp and
Lindsey Williams then led to back-to-back doubles from
Kailey Reese and
Bethany Allen, which scored two runs and put Henderson in front 3-0. With Allen standing on third base,
Alexia Lopez then added the third run of the inning for HSU on an RBI groundout, which made it 4-0.
NWOSU was never able to threaten again. Despite scoring an unearned run after an error in the bottom of the seventh, the Lady Rangers were held to just four hits in the final five innings by Almond and
Emmery Boyd, which helped the Reddies win it 4-1 to split Sunday's games.
Almond got her fourth win of the year by going five innings and allowing no runs on five hits. Boyd pitched the final two innings and gave up just one run on one hit.
Lindsey Williams, who went 2-for-4, and
Selena Mendoza, who went 2-for-3, led seven Henderson players who had a hit in the win.
GAME ONE: Northwestern Oklahoma State 4, Henderson State 3
Henderson tied game one up late against Northwestern Oklahoma State, but the Lady Rangers scratched a run in the bottom of the seventh to earn a 4-3 walk-off win.
After NWOSU took a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning, the Reddies were able to knot things up in the top of the sixth.
Bethany Allen led off with a triple into right field, and the next batter,
Alexia Lopez, did her job perfectly, as she came through with a sac fly to score Allen and tie the game 3-3.
A scoreless bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh led to NWOSU having a chance to win it in the game's last frame. The Lady Rangers took advantage, and used a single and two walks to load the bases with just one out. The next batter, Macy Madewell, was hit by a pitch on an 0-2 count which brought in the winning run for NWOSU and gave them the 4-3 win.
Allen was 3-for-3 in the game for Henderson and had two RBIs, on a double in the first and a bunt single in the third.
