MAGNOLIA, Ark. — Southern Arkansas scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to fend off an HSU comeback as the Reddies fell 8-5 in the opening game of conference play.

The Reddies got off to a great start in the first inning when Joe Myers drew a walk and moved into scoring position with a passed ball. HSU wasted no time to take advantage of their first scoring opportunity as Caleb Carr brought home the game's opening run with an RBI single to left field.

Unfortunately, HSU's lead was short lived as SAU took just two batters to tie the game. The Muleriders added four more runs in the bottom of the first and took a 5-1 lead.

Austin Cross replaced Matthew Baker in the bottom of the third and was excellent for the Reddies in the middle innings. Cross struck out the first two batters he faced and got some help from his catcher, Josh Aguilar, when he threw out an SAU baserunner trying to swipe third base to end the fourth inning.

The Reddies were on the verge of wasting a leadoff walk to Bryson Haskins in the top of the fifth when Haskins worked his way to scoring position on a wild pitch. HSU sophomore Greyson Stevens took advantage of the opportunity, however, with a single to right field that scored Haskins before moving into scoring position on a passed ball. The Reddies picked up their second 2-out RBI of the inning when Joe Myers singled to left, scoring Stevens to make it a 5-3 ballgame.

Following a pair of strikeouts in the bottom half, Henderson State halved the lead in the top of the six. Nick Whitley worked a walk before advancing 180 feet to third on a pair of wild pitches. Danny Mitchell Jr. picked up his third RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Whitley, and cutting SAU's advantage to one, 5-4.

HSU caught a break in the top of the eighth when Carr reached on an error by the SAU infield. Carr moved to second when the next batter, Cade Tucker, walked, and moved to third on a wild pitch. With two runners in scoring position and one out, Henderson's dugout called on freshman Kaden Argenbright to pinch hit. In a big spot, the freshman was unfazed, knocking a single into left field, scoring Carr and tying the game, 5-5.

Just as they did in the bottom of the first, SAU reclaimed all of the momentum in the bottom of the eighth. Consecutive walks started the inning for SAU and an infield single loaded the bases with nobody out. Looking to take the lead, the Muleriders also went to their bench and were similarly rewarded when Cooper King lined a double down the right field line to score two and giving SAU a 7-5 lead.

The Reddies did load the bases in the top of the ninth, but the tying run was left on first as a 6-4 groundout wrapped things up for the Muleriders.

Myers led the Reddies with a pair of hits and was the only HSU batter to collect an extra-base knock. Tucker joined Myers as the only Henderson hitter to reach safely on three at-bats, singling in the first and working walks in the eighth and ninth.

Although he was tagged with the loss, Cross worked five innings and struck out eight batters in his best outing of the young season for HSU.

The Reddies return to action tomorrow when they face SAU in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.