ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Kaitlyn Felder and Mallory Brewer were commendable in relief and the Reddies' bats finally broke through, as Henderson State took two from Arkansas Tech on Monday, defeating the Golden Suns 8-6 and 4-1.

In the first game of the doubleheader, Felder allowed one run in 3.2 innings of work as HSU rebounded from a 5-2 deficit. In the second contest, Brewer was called into action and delivered four shutout innings as Henderson split the four game series with ATU.

At the plate, the Reddies were led by Madie Green, who combined to go 4-for-7 on the afternoon with a home run and three RBIs. Ashlyn Taylor had an outstanding day with the bat and the glove. Taylor went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and made four putouts and four assists from her shortstop position.

The Reddies (8-8, 2-2) continue Great American Conference play next weekend when HSU hosts Oklahoma Baptist with doubleheaders set for 2 p.m. Friday and 12 p.m. Saturday.

Game One: Henderson State 8, Arkansas Tech 6
Following two scoreless innings, the Reddies took their first lead of the series with a two-out rally in the bottom of the third. After back-to-back singles put Taylor on third and Alyssa Dixon on first, the Reddies executed a double steal, forcing ATU into an error that scored Taylor without a throw and put the Reddies in front 1-0.
 
After Marcela Lopez reached on an error, HSU attempted the double steal for the second time. Lopez baited the ATU infield into a run-down, allowing Dixon to score, doubling HSU's advantage, 2-0.
 
Unfortunately, Henderson's lead didn't last long. In the top of the fourth, the Golden Suns strung together three-straight hits before  capping the rally with a three-run home run by Makenzie Goins to go in front 4-2. ATU added one more in the inning and led 5-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
 
Unfazed by the ATU response, the Reddies chipped into Tech's lead in the bottom half. To lead-off the inning, Green and Abbie Moore both teed off on the first pitch they saw. Green laced a double down the left field line and Moore brought her home with a frozen rope over the third baseman's outstretched glove, as HSU cut the deficit to 5-3.
 
HSU inched closer in the bottom of the fifth. Lopez worked a full-count walk before Taylor and Green singled to left and right to load the bases. Moore pulled the Reddies within one with a sacrifice fly to straightaway center field, scoring Lopez to make it 5-4.
 
After notching one run in the fourth and fifth, Henderson put up a crooked number in the sixth. Ashleigh Erb and Cecily Rodriguez were hit by the first two pitches of the inning, putting runners on first and second with no one out. After a sacrifice from Taylor, Alyssa Dixon drew a base on balls, loading the bases. Sam Smith came up clutch for the Reddies with a pinch-hit single up the middle, scoring two, and giving HSU a 6-5 lead. Lopez re-entered for Smith and stole second before Green notched her third hit of the afternoon, which plated both Dixon and Lopez and extended Henderson's lead out to 8-5.
 
ATU pushed a run across in the top of the seventh, but Michelle Sorensen slammed the door with a one-out save, as the Reddies picked up their first GAC win, 8-6. 
 
Game Two: Henderson State 4, Arkansas Tech 1
It did not take long for the Reddies to grab the lead in the second half of the doubleheader. After Sorensen worked in and out of trouble in the top of the first, Lopez roped a double down the left field line before scoring on an error by the ATU shortstop, as Henderson took a 1-0 lead. 
 
The Golden Suns tied the game 1-1 in the top of the fourth, but the Reddies retook control in the bottom half. Christianna Camp got things started with a single up the middle and HSU juiced the bases after Erb walked and Rodriguez was hit by a pitch. With two outs and facing a 1-2 count, Dixon smashed a grounder through the left side to score Camp and Erb, putting the Reddies in front, 3-1. 
 
Nursing a two-run lead, HSU flashed the leather in the top of fifth. Kailey Reese laid out in short left field for a looping fly ball, and although she was unable to make the initial catch, Reese stuck with the play and threw out the ATU runner trying to stretch the single into a double. After the next batter reached, Taylor ranged to her right, made a backhanded sliding stop, popped up and fired to second for a 6-4 fielder's choice. HSU got out of the inning after Green tracked down a lazy fly ball in right field. 
 
The Reddies added another run in the bottom of the sixth, when Green went deep and deposited a 2-2 pitch over the right field fence, extending the Reddies' advantage to 4-1. It was Green's second long ball of the year, which ties her for the team lead with Moore and Camp. 
 
Tech brought the tying run to the plate and had runners on the corners in the top of the seventh, but Brewer induced a ground ball to second, and the Reddies prevailed with a 4-1 victory.