ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Henderson State softball picked up its first sweep in a GAC doubleheader on Saturday as the Reddies defeated Southern Nazarene 8-6 and 6-0. 

The pair of wins gave HSU its first series win of the conference season as the Reddies took three of four contests over a Crimson Storm squad that entered the weekend undefeated in conference play. 

Ashlyn Taylor finished a sensational weekend with another strong hitting performance as the sophomore combined to go 3-for-5 with four RBIs. 

Becca Almond had one of the best outings of her career in the series finale when she allowed just three baserunners during a complete game shutout.  

Henderson State (10-14, 6-6) will take its longest road trip of the season next weekend when it travels to Alva, Oklahoma for a four-game series at Northwestern Oklahoma State. 

Game 1: Henderson State 8, Southern Nazarene 6
Henderson State took advantage of a Crimson Storm mistake in the bottom of the first inning when a dropped foul ball allowed Taylor to take another swing with two on and two out. SNU paid the price when Taylor singled into center field to bring home Alyssa Dixon which gave Henderson a 1-0 lead.

The Reddies found themselves in a two-run hole in the bottom of the fourth after three runs on four hits for the Crimson Storm in the top half. Fortunately for HSU, it only took two batters to cut the lead in half as Morgan Reeve was brought home by Crysta Larey following a leadoff double. Larey's single to right center scored Reeve and made it 3-2 SNU. 

Southern Nazarene stole the momentum right back however, with two more runs in the top of the fifth to take a 5-2 lead. Despite the three-run deficit, the Reddies refused to roll over, and quickly runners on second and third in the bottom half of the inning. With Abbie Moore on third and Cecily Rodriguez on second, Henderson's Taylor tied the game with one swing of the bat as her second home run of the weekend knotted the score at 5-5. 

After the Reddies and Crimson Storm traded a run in the sixth, the game went to extra frames tied 6-6. Although Henderson fell in extra innings on Friday, Saturday would be a different story. With two outs and a runner on first following a failed squeeze play, Moore ended the game and gave the Reddies an 8-6 victory with a two-run walk off home run over the center field wall. 

Cayleigh Guthrie pocketed her third win of the season for the Reddies after giving up just one run in three innings of relief. 

Game 2: Henderson State 6, Southern Nazarene 0
In a weekend full of dramatics, the fourth and final game of the series was a straightforward affair for HSU. The Reddies' starter Almond was dominant from the get-go and retired the first nine batters she faced. 

The Reddies did all of the game's scoring in the bottom of the sixth and batted through the lineup. Dixon led off the inning with a walk and scored minutes later after a pair of wild pitches from the SNU pitcher to give HSU a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Taylor brought Kaitlynn O'Quinn with a safety squeeze which doubled Henderson's lead. 

The Reddies weren't done though as HSU loaded the bases after Taylor was hit by a pitch and Czoey White walked. With the bases juiced, Monica Monreal put the game out of reach with a grand slam which gave Henderson State more than enough breathing room and a 6-0 lead. 

Southern Nazarene managed just one hit in the rest of the contest as Almond won her fourth game of the year with a complete game shutout to give the Reddies a series victory with a 6-0 win.