ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — After seeing its four-run lead disappear on Friday, Henderson State made sure there would be no extra innings in the series opener with Arkansas Tech, as Danny Mitchell Jr. scored the walk-off run in the bottom of the ninth on a throwing error to win it for the Reddies, 5-4.

Henderson jumped out in front early in the second inning when an infield single from Josh Aguilar scored Cade Tucker from third and the throw to first by the second baseman got away, allowing Alec Lewis to come all the way home from second. Moments later, Greyson Stevens drove in Aguilar with an RBI single through the right side to make it 3-0.

A sacrifice fly from Joe Myers plated Jordan Rusnak in the fourth inning to increase the lead out to 4-0 for the Reddies, but ATU began its climb back in the top of fifth, when it scratched a run on a throwing error to make it 4-1. The rally continued in the sixth for the Wonder Boys, as they used three hits to score two more runs and cut the deficit to 4-3. HSU missed chances to extend the lead and left two runners on base in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames.

Neither team could get anything going in the seventh or eighth, but Tech finally tied things up in the ninth, 4-4, thanks to a lead-off single, a stolen base and an RBI double. The go-ahead run was in scoring positon with no outs for ATU, but despite surrendering the lead, Reddies' reliever Taylor Langston got out of the inning without any further damage and sent the game into the bottom of the ninth.

Mitchell Jr., the lead-off man, got things started quickly for HSU when he reached on a throwing error by Tech's shortstop. Henderson bunted Mitchell Jr. over to second on the next at-bat, which brought Cade Tucker to the plate with one out.

Tucker got down in the count 1-2 and struck out swinging for the second out of the inning, but on the swing Mitchell Jr. attempted to steal third base. As Mitchell Jr. slid into the bag, the low throw from the catcher came bouncing into the ATU third baseman and got away into foul territory by the Reddies' dugout, allowing Mitchell to stride into home standing up to win it in unconventional fashion for Henderson.

Stevens had three hits and an RBI in four plate appearances for the Reddies, while both Tucker and Aguilar finished with two hits. Starter Austin Cross was solid for HSU and was in line for the win until the top of the ninth inning. Cross went 5.1 innings, allowed two earned runs on six hits and struck out four. Blake Patterson was also effective in relief, as he pitched 1.2 innings and struck out four while giving up just one hit.

The Reddies and Wonder Boys meet again tomorrow at 1 p.m. in a doubleheader at Clyde Berry Field.