ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Henderson State erased a 5-0 deficit to storm back and win game one 8-6 on Saturday, then used a fast start in the second contest to hold on for a 5-3 victory and sweep Southwestern Oklahoma State in the weekend series at Clyde Berry Field.

Since starting their Great American Conference schedule 1-8, the Reddies are 8-1 in their last nine games and have rallied into sixth place in the conference standings, which would earn them a spot in the GAC Tournament if the season ended today.

Both Brandon Pollock and Danny Mitchell Jr. had fantastic series for Henderson. Pollock was 9-for-13 at the plate and had two four-hit games, while Mitchell Jr. finished 7-for-14 with three hits in each of the first two contests.

The Reddies (15-13, 9-9) return to action on Tuesday, when they host Arkansas Tech in a non-conference midweek game at 6 p.m.

Game 1: Henderson State 8, SWOSU 6
After falling behind by five runs, HSU scored three in the seventh and used clutch hits to plate four more in the eighth, as the Reddies battled back to defeat SWOSU 8-6 and secure the series victory.

The Bulldogs broke open a scoreless game in the third inning, when they got four runs — all of which came via two-out hitting — to open up a 4-0 lead.

SWOSU tacked on another in the fifth, but Henderson matched it on an RBI single from Joseph Shepherd in the bottom half to stay within four runs.

Momentum began to swing the Reddies' way in the seventh. After lead-off hitter Daniel Colasanto reached on an error, HSU got a double from Blake Wynn, followed by a bases-clearing triple from Brandon Pollock, to score two runs and cut the deficit down to 5-3. Shepherd's second RBI of the day on a groundout moments later made it 5-4 and put the pressure on SWOSU going to the eighth.

The Bulldogs did not threaten in the top of the inning, but Henderson kept pushing in its half, as two hit batters and a single from Colasanto gave the Reddies a two-out, bases loaded situation.

In the biggest moment of the weekend, it was Pollock who came through once again for HSU, when he drilled a two-RBI single back up the middle to give Henderson its first lead, 6-5.

The two-out haymaker was not over for the Reddies, however, as Danny Mitchell Jr. kept the scoring going with a two-RBI single of his own, which extended the advantage to 8-5 and gave HSU breathing room.

Although the Bulldogs got one back on a solo home run in the ninth, they could not regroup for a rally, as the Reddies closed it out to win the game and the series.

Much like on Friday night, Pollock was the star for Henderson, and finished 4-for-5 with four RBIs. Mitchell Jr. added three hits and two RBIs of his own. Kris Priddy (1-0), who entered out of the pen in the sixth, got his first win of the season by throwing four innings of relief and allowing just one run on three hits.

Game 2: Henderson State 5, SWOSU 3
Caleb Carr got the Reddies' going with a three-run home run in the opening frame, and that momentum carried HSU all the way home, as they held off a late SWOSU rally to win 5-3 and sweep the Bulldogs.

Carr came to the dish with two runners on, thanks to a single and an error, and he took advantage, when he launched his second home run of the year over the left field wall to give the Reddies a 3-0 lead early.

It was starter Zach Eschberger (2-2) who took over from there, as he kept the Bulldog offense at bay by allowing no runs and just three hits over the first five innings of the late game.

After Henderson tacked on insurance runs in both the fourth and fifth to take a 5-0 advantage, SWOSU finally got things going in the sixth, when the Bulldogs used four hits — two of which were doubles — to score three runs and trim the deficit down to 5-3.

The Reddies missed an opportunity to add a cushion when they left the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, but no harm was done, as reliever Jon Youngblood shut down the Bulldogs in order in the seventh to earn his second save of the year and give Henderson the three-game sweep.

Carr finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs to lead HSU, while Ryan Wieligman also added two hits. Eschberger struck out four in his second win of the season and allowed just three runs on seven hits.