ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – After HSU clinched the series with its doubleheader sweep yesterday, Henderson State and Southwestern Oklahoma State treated the attendees at Dee White Field to an 11-inning final game, marking the longest contest either team has played this season.
 
In an incredible display of endurance, Bulldogs pitcher Alisa Friesen pitched over 175 pitches after throwing all 11 innings for her squad. Henderson threw three different pitchers, all of whom threw three innings or more. Brooke Johnson, who started the outing, went three innings, followed by Savannah Carrigan who also went three frames, while Erika Bittinger finished off the remaining five innings.
 
The Reddies out-hit SWOSU in the marathon outing, 10-9, led by Justine Burch, who went 3-for-5 at the plate. Following close behind was Abbie Moore and Savannah Hughes, who each logged a pair of base-hits. Hughes also tallied one RBI in the outing.
 
Hughes' RBI came early, delivering the first run of the game with a single to right center that scored Burch to put HSU ahead 1-0 in the second. A passed ball in the next half-inning allowed SWOSU to tie the game at 1-1 before HSU took the lead for the second time off a Bulldog error that scored Moore for the 2-1 advantage.
 
After Carrigan, who relieved Johnson in the top of the fourth, retired Southwestern in order, the Reddies saw their third straight at-bat bring in a solo run, this time Hughes coming across the plate off a Bre Jones sacrifice bunt to extend the slim lead, 3-1.
 
With it looking like Henderson may run away with things, a scoring drought that lasted the remaining seven innings opened the door for the Bulldogs to climb back. After seeing its first hit since the very first inning, a double down the left-field line in the top of the sixth brought the deficit to within one, followed by a one-run double in the top of the seventh to send the games to extras tied at 3-3.
 
After a pair of hits in the bottom of the eighth for Henderson went unused, Southwestern looked to break things open in the top of the ninth, loading the bases with zero outs. In an unbelievable turn of events, after a Bittinger-enforced strikeout for the first out, a 6-5 double play gave the Reddies new life, moving play to the bottom of the ninth with the game still tied at three.
 
Henderson was able to occupy first and second in the bottom of the ninth, yet left the runners stranded as scoring continued to evade head coach David Martinez's group. With neither team claiming a hit in the 10th, the Bulldogs delivered what would wind up being the game-winning home run before plating two more runs to ensure victory, 6-3.
 
Henderson State (9-27, 6-11) will leave Dee White Field briefly when it heads to Commerce, Texas, to face No. 21 Texas A&M-Commerce in a doubleheader Wednesday, March 30 beginning at 3 p.m. The Reddies will return to Arkadelphia and GAC play this weekend.