ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Henderson State used 10 hits and strong pitching performances to roll to a 10-3 win over Ouachita Baptist on Friday afternoon in the series opener between the two rivals.
Spencer Taack earned his sixth win of the season on the mound for the Reddies (21-14, 16-12). Taack hurled 6.1 innings and allowed three runs on five hits. The junior from Dallas struck out six and walked just two to improve his record to 6-1 on the year.Â
Greyson Stevens led HSU at the plate in the win and finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Stevens smacked two doubles, including one which unloaded the bases in the third. Josh Aguilar and Kaden Argenbright also had two hits for the Reddies. Aguilar drove in three runs and had a double.
Trailing 1-0 in the early going, HSU flipped the script on Ouachita in the third. The Reddies got two singles, as well as doubles from Stevens and Argenbright, to plate three runs and go in front 3-1. All four hits for Henderson came with two outs.
The Reddies added to their lead in the fourth with just one hit. After two walks and a hit batter by OBU loaded the bases with two outs for Stevens, the sophomore cashed in, and slashed a double deep into the gap in left center to clear the bases and put HSU up 6-1.
The Tigers got two unearned runs back in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run double, but that was the last scoring Ouachita would do in the game. Henderson, meanwhile, struck for three more runs on three hits in the seventh to extend its lead to 10-3.Â
OBU threatened in the bottom of the seventh by loading the bases with two outs, but Brayden Bebee got a swinging strikeout to end the threat and help the Reddies cruise to a series-opening victory.
Bebee was excellent in relief and pitched a scoreless final 2.2 innings. The Arkadelphia native surrendered two hits and struck out two batters. The Reddies chased Ouachita starter Luke Scaggs — the reigning GAC Pitcher of the Week — for six runs on seven hits in five innings.
Henderson took advantage of five walks and five hit batters in the contest by OBU pitching. The Reddies staff walked just four Tigers on the day.
HSU will go for the series win tomorrow at 1 p.m. when the two teams meet in a doubleheader.