ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Down 6-0 before recording its first hit, Henderson State staged a remarkable comeback on Tuesday night and scored eight unanswered runs to rally and stun No. 9 Delta State 8-6 at Clyde Berry Field.

Freshman Alec Lewis led seven Reddies with hits in the win and finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Drake Salsman earned his first victory of the season out of the bullpen after pitching the eighth inning.

The Statesmen seemingly broke the game open in the top of the fourth when they racked up six singles and scored six runs, all with two outs in the inning, to take a commanding 6-0 lead.

Henderson's first hit came in the bottom half, when Cade Tucker doubled to score Greyson Stevens and get the Reddies on the board. After DSU went quietly in the fifth, the Reddies began their climb back, and used singles from Kaden Argenbright, Lewis, Joe Myers and Stevens, as well as a walk and a balk call, to quickly string together four runs and trim the deficit to 6-5.

HSU nearly took the lead in the fifth when Danny Mitchell Jr. drove a ball into left center with one out and two runners in scoring position, but Delta State left fielder Chad Ragland made a diving catch which saved two runs for DSU. Despite missing a chance to go in front, Henderson's bullpen was able to keep the Statesmen at bay in the sixth, seventh and eighth, as DSU stranded four base runners but maintained its one-run lead.

The Reddies finally broke through in the bottom of the eighth. Mitchell Jr. led off and reached on an error and after Josh Aguilar walked, Mitchell Jr. moved over to third base on a poor pick-off throw from the DSU pitcher. With runners on the corners and one out, freshman Jordan Rusnak perfectly executed the squeeze play and laid down a bunt single which scored Mitchell Jr. to tie the game, 6-6.

A single from Lewis in the ensuing at-bat loaded the bases for HSU with still only one out and Caleb Carr cashed in for the Reddies moments later, when he sliced a double down the left field line to score two and give Henderson an improbable 8-6 lead. The two-run cushion would prove to be enough, as Tucker, who spent eight innings at third base, moved over to the mound and got the save for HSU in the ninth to ice the Reddies' biggest win of the year.

Henderson starter Andrew Howard got a no-decision but pitched well, allowing just two hits and no runs in 3.0 innings of work with two strikeouts. The relief combination of Jon Youngblood, Ryan Ratliff, Salsman and Tucker gave up just one run in the final 5.1 innings and struck out eight Statesmen batters.

HSU (5-9) returns to action on Friday when it hosts Oklahoma Baptist at 6 p.m. in the opener of a three-game series at Clyde Berry Field.