ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Thanks to the right arm of Erika Bittinger, Henderson State delivered a perfect game through five innings in game one Wednesday afternoon against Union, splitting the day's twin bill against the Lady Bulldogs, 4-2 and 7-6, the second of which took nine innings to decide a winner.
 
Both Abbie Moore and Madison Treutlein logged four hits on the day as they paced the Reddies at the plate. Moore claimed her team-leading sixth home run in game one of the doubleheader as her two-run homer showed to be the difference in the 4-2 outing.
 
Erika Bittinger (3-3) earned the win in the first game after throwing a complete game. The freshman pitcher only registered one strikeout, but allowed just two earned runs on three hits in the outing while also hitting in the seven-hole.
 
Henderson St. (6-22, 3-8) will return to Great American Conference play when it heads to Alva, Oklahoma, this weekend for a three-game series against Northwestern Oklahoma State. Game one and two will be played Friday, Mar. 18 beginning at 2 p.m. with the final game taking place Saturday at 11 a.m.  
 
Game 1: Henderson State 4, Union 2
Through the first two and a half innings, fans in attendance at Dee White Field were treated to an absolute pitcher's duel, with both squads retiring the other in order through the game's first five at-bats. Henderson was able to break through with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the third.
 
With two outs facing the Reddies, Justine Burch delivered the first single of the game, followed by Moore sending a ball over the centerfield wall to give HSU a lead that it would not relent, 2-0.
 
With Bittinger sitting the Lady Bulldogs down in order yet again in the fourth and fifth inning, Henderson was on the cusp on something special, having delivered a perfect game up to that point. That perfect game and Bittinger's no-hitter was spoiled in the top of the sixth with a single.
 
Despite the base knock, the eager base runner bit off more than she could chew, going for second only to have HSU's centerfielder throw her out at second, allowing HSU to, for a sixth straight time, sit Union batters down in order. That massive defensive play fueled the Reddie offense to add two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to go up, 4-0.
 
With Union only having one hit up to that point, the visiting team threatened to mount a comeback in the top of the final frame, using two hits to plate two runs, but a flyout to center field left the Lady Bulldog threat mute, with HSU taking game one, 4-2.  
 
Game 2: Union 7, Henderson State 6
Both squads got after each team's starting pitchers, with a total of six runs taking place before play even moved to the second inning. With changes coming to the circle for both programs, the scoring settled down as the score remained a 3-3 deadlock until the fifth inning.
 
Once again, it was Moore to bring the scoring for Henderson, sending an RBI-double down the left field line, scoring Burch, before she herself scored on a wild pitch three batters later to give HSU its first lead of the game at 5-3. That lead was short-lived, however, as Union responded immediately with two runs of its own in the top of the sixth to tie the game for the second time.
 
With nothing happening in the final inning and a half, play moved to extra innings. As the international rules were in effect, sending a base runner to second to begin the at-bat, both teams scored a run in the first extra frame before Union took advantage in the ninth with its seventh run, while HSU was held at six to complete the day's split.