ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Henderson State overcame an early two-run deficit to rally and defeat rival Ouachita Baptist 3-2 in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. With the win, the Reddies (22-15, 17-13) claimed the Battle of the Ravine series for the second straight time and punched their ticket to the 2021 GAC Tournament.
HSU has now won three GAC weekend series in a row and is in sixth in the league standings with one weekend remaining in the regular season.
The Reddies will finish conference play in Oklahoma next Friday and Saturday when they travel to face Oklahoma Baptist.
GAME 1: Henderson State 3, Ouachita Baptist 2
Henderson got single runs in the second, fourth and sixth, as well as a three-inning save from Taylor Langston, to defeat OBU 3-2 and win the series at Rab Rodgers Field.
Kaden Argenbright was the star for the Reddies and finished 3-for-4 with a home run and all three runs scored for HSU. Argenbright's big day extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
Starter Matthew Baker was also excellent for Henderson and picked up his fourth win of the year. Baker threw six innings, allowed two runs on five hits, struck out five and walked just one. He surrendered just one hit to the Tigers in his final four innings pitched.
Ouachita had three of its seven hits in the game come in the first frame and jumped out to a 2-0 lead early. Unphased, Henderson got Argenbright's solo homer in the second and an RBI single from Josh Aguilar in the fourth to tie it up at 2-2.
Following a scoreless fifth inning, the Reddies broke the tie in the sixth, as Bryson Haskins came up with a clutch, two-out single on an 0-2 pitch to score Argenbright from third base and give HSU its first lead, 3-2.
With the lead in hand, Henderson turned to its lights-out closer, Langston. The senior from El Dorado, Arkansas delivered, and gave the Reddies his longest outing of the season to close out the win and pick up the rare three-inning save.
Langston gave up just two hits while striking out two. It was the second-longest performance of his career, eclipsed only by a four-inning effort against NWOSU back in 2018.
The victory was the Reddies fourth-straight at Rab Rodgers field and fifth-straight over OBU overall dating back to 2019.
GAME 2: Ouachita Baptist 3, Henderson State 1
The Reddies' bats were held in check in the final game of the series by OBU's Beau Burson, who delivered a strong performance to help the Tigers salvage the final game of the weekend, 3-1.
HSU had two hits in the first inning but recorded just two more over the next five in the closing game. Ouachita struck for two runs on four singles in the third — all of which came with two outs — and added another run in the fifth to go in front 3-0.
After scuffling for most of the seven-inning contest, Henderson tried to pull off a rally late. Up against the wall in the seventh, the Reddies got a run back on an RBI single from Greyson Stevens, and had the tying run in scoring position with two outs, but OBU left them stranded on a groundout to escape with a win.
Stevens had two hits and the lone run batted in for HSU. Ethan Perry was tagged with the loss after surrendering six hits and three runs in three innings of work. Cade Tucker gave Henderson a chance by pitching a scoreless final three frames and allowing just two hits.
Burson was excellent for the Tigers and went 6.2 innings, allowing one run on six hits.
