RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — A solid start by Becca Almond and a three-run third inning catapulted the Reddies to a 5-2 victory in the GAC season opener at Arkansas Tech.

Almond went the distance for the second time this season and picked up her second win while allowing two runs on five hits and three walks.

The Reddies got contributions up and down the lineup. Ashlyn Taylor led the Reddies with three hits including a double, while Czoey White and Monica Monreal recorded a pair of base hits. Freshman Kaitlyn O'Quinn was held hitless for the first time this season, but exercised excellent plate discipline and drew four walks.

Unfortunately for Mallory Brewer, who gave up just one run on six hits while striking out three batters in the second half of the doubleheader, the Reddies could not provide any run support and fell 1-0 to split the day.

Henderson State (5-9, 1-1) and Tech will finish the first weekend of conference play tomorrow with a doubleheader scheduled for 12 p.m.

Game 1: Henderson State 5, Arkansas Tech 0
 
After leaving a combined four runners on base in the second and the third inning, the Reddies found themselves in a 1-0 hole after a solo home run by Paige Mendoza.
 
HSU got things going quickly in the top of the third with a leadoff single from White, followed by a double from Abbie Moore which gave the Reddies a pair of runners in scoring position with nobody out. The very next batter was freshman Taylor Sledd, who picked up her fifth RBI of the season and tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right field which scored White and advanced Moore to third. Walks to Alyssa Dixon and Monreal loaded the bases, and Taylor broke the tie and gave Henderson the lead with an infield single to third base. HSU tacked on one more run when O'Quinn worked one of her four walks, scoring Dixon and giving the Reddies a 3-1 lead that they would not relinquish.
 
Arkansas Tech crept closer with another home run to make it 3-2, but Henderson's starter Almond responded by going into shutdown mode. After getting out of the third with a 5-3 groundout, Almond retired the side in the bottom of the fourth and fifth inning before allowing a baserunner that was eventually stranded in the sixth.
 
The Reddies played small ball and added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh when Taylor singled home Monreal and later scored on an error by the ATU infield to grab a 5-2 lead for HSU.
 
A single and a fielding error brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh for Arkansas Tech, but Almond induced a 6-3 ground out to end the game and secure the win, 5-2.

Game 2: Arkansas Tech 1, Henderson State 0
Brewer's best outing of the 2020 season went unrewarded as the junior took the loss in a textbook pitching duel.

The Reddies did have opportunities to score early. Moore walked to leadoff the second and was sent to scoring position with a sacrifice by Sledd before being stranded. In the third, O'Quinn used her speed by way of the bunt single and stole second to give HSU a chance to take the lead. Again, however, HSU stranded a runner with a groundout to the ATU second baseman.

HSU's best chance came in the fourth after a leadoff single by White who eventually moved to third. The Reddies had runners on the corners after Dixon was hit by a pitch, but ATU's Lexi Taylor induced a pop out to keep the game scoreless.

After Arkansas Tech took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth, the Reddies got one last golden opportunity. Kailey Reese was hit by a pitch to lead off the sixth and Moore got another free pass by way of the walk to give HSU runners on first and second with one out. After both baserunners moved up and into scoring position with a groundout, HSU was once again silenced when a 5-3 groundout ended the inning.

Brewer gave up just six hits all game, but the Reddies could not scratch a run across and fell 1-0.