ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Henderson State carved out 24 total hits in Monday's doubleheader, and blanked Northwestern Oklahoma State 3-0 in the final game, to split the Great American Conference series with the Lady Rangers.
The Reddies (30-21, 22-18) return to Dee White Field for their final home series of the year this weekend, when they take on South Nazarene in doubleheaders at 4 p.m. Friday and 12 p.m. on Saturday.
GAME TWO: Henderson State 3, NWOSU 0
Henderson got two hits from both
Alexis Morton and
Ashleigh Erb, and held NWOSU's bats in check, to defeat the Lady Rangers 3-0 in Monday's second contest and split the weekend series.
The Reddies got their first run in the third, when
Kailey Reese tagged up on a fly out from
Madie Green, and then took advantage of an error on the NWOSU left fielder, to score all the way from second base and put HSU in front 1-0.
Henderson got another boost in the fourth from Morton, who, on the first pitch she saw, cranked her second home run of the season over the left field fence. The solo shot pushed the Reddies' lead to 2-0 and gave Morton the sixth homer of her career.
With NWOSU unable to scratch a run, HSU added some separation in the top of the seventh inning. After a double from Green and a single from
Nadia Ballarin put runners on second and third with no outs, the next batter, Erb, capitalized with a single of her own, which scored Green to make it 3-0.
Down to their final three outs, the Lady Rangers threatened late, and brought the tying run to the plate with two gone in the bottom half of the seventh, but
Mallory Brewer let the Reddies breathe easy, as she got the final NWOSU batter to ground out to end it in Henderson's favor.
Every player in the batting lineup had a hit in the second game for the Reddies, who mashed 12 total on the day. Brewer picked up the second complete-game victory of her career and fifth overall win this season. She did not allow a run on seven hits in the contest.
GAME ONE: NWOSU 8, Henderson State 7
The Reddies held a 7-2 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning in the first game on Monday, but NWOSU scored five runs in the sixth, and one late in the seventh, to rally and defeat Henderson 8-7.
Henderson led 3-2 entering the sixth inning, and then looked to be in great shape, after RBI singles from
Courtney Warren and
Kailey Reese plated four runs to give the Reddies a 7-2 lead. NWOSU would not go away, however, and used a grand slam to power an inning that saw the Lady Rangers score five runs and quickly tie the game, 7-7.
In the seventh, the Reddies moved a runner to second base with one out and a chance to take the lead, but the final two batters of the inning struck out to give NWOSU the final say in the bottom half. Needing just one run to walk off, the Lady Rangers got it, on a walk from Macy Madewell and a double from Katie Bell. The extra base hit gave NWOSU a come-from-behind 8-7 win.
The Reddies had 12 hits in the loss. Reese led the way with a 3-for-4 effort, while
Bethany Allen,
Madie Green,
Ashleigh Erb and Warren all had two hits in the game. Reese, Green and Warren each had two RBIs.
Green hit her 10th home run of the spring in the fourth inning, which marks just the ninth season in the 20 year history of the program that the Reddies will have a player with double digit home runs for the year.