ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — No. 16 Henderson State found itself on the wrong end of the only run of the game on Tuesday night as Mississippi College scored late to defeat the Reddies 1-0 at Clyde Berry Field.

Choctaw starter Payton Russell was phenomenal throughout and pitched a complete game shutout to earn the win. He surrendered just three hits and struck out six without walking a batter.

Ethan Perry got the start for HSU (17-4) and pitched the first before giving the ball to Austin Cross, who was terrific in his own right to earn a no-decision. Cross threw 6.1 scoreless innings, gave up two hits, struck out three and walked three. 

With the game knotted at 0-0 in the bottom of the eighth, Henderson had an opportunity to seize control when back-to-back singles from Bryson Haskins and Colton Patterson put two on with one out. The opportunity came up sour for the Reddies, however, as the Choctaws turned a 6-4-3 double-play to get out of the inning. That momentum carried over into the top of the ninth for MC, who got a leadoff hit and a sacrifice bunt to put the go-ahead run on second base. 

In a contest where the majority of the hard-hit balls found their way into the gloves of fielders, the Choctaws finally got one to drop at the critical time, as a weakly hit ball on an 0-2 count got down in front of the charging right fielder and trickled to the wall for an RBI triple. The timely hit gave Mississippi College a 1-0 lead that proved to be enough, as HSU went down in order in the ninth. 

The Reddies were limited to three hits in the game while MC managed five — three of which came in the last two innings. 

Henderson returns to action at home this weekend when it hosts Northwestern Oklahoma State in a three-game GAC series at Clyde Berry Field on Friday and Saturday.