ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — After falling behind on a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the eighth, Henderson State got two home runs from Dillon Thomas and Bryson Haskins in the top of the ninth to rally and defeat rival Ouachita Baptist 9-6 on Tuesday at Rab Rogers Field.

The dramatic victory improved the Reddies (30-12) to 2-0 on the year against Ouachita and notched their 30th win of the season. It is the eighth time in program history HSU has won 30 or more games in a single year.

Thomas and Nick Butler each finished 3-for-5 to lead Henderson at the plate. Haskins had two hits, including his two-run shot in the ninth, and drove in three runs. 

Seven different pitchers toed the rubber for the Reddies in the midweek, non-conference clash. Austin Cross got the most work and threw 4.1 innings in which he allowed two runs on two hits. Brayden Bebee earned his fifth save of the season by closing it down for HSU in the ninth.

It was a pitcher's duel through the first five frames in Arkadelphia, as Ouachita led 1-0 on a bases-loaded walk which scored the game's only run to that point. The final four innings were a completely different story, as the two sides combined to score 14 runs.

The Reddies plated three to take their first lead in the sixth, when an error led to two runs and a Haskins' double added a third. Ouachita struck back with an RBI double in the bottom half to cut the deficit to 3-2, but Henderson tacked on singles runs in both the seventh and eighth to build a 5-2 advantage.

HSU got into a pickle in the bottom of the eighth, as two hits and a walk loaded the bases for the Tigers with two outs. OBU took advantage and lifted a grand slam just over the glove of Butler in right field to seize a 6-5 lead. 

Suddenly down to their final three outs, the Reddies did not flinch in the ninth. Kaden Argenbright led off the inning with a walk, and Thomas made sure the Ouachita lead did not last long, as he hit a line drive home run off the top of the fence in left center to push HSU back in front, 7-6.

The scoring was not done for Henderson, however. After Luke Farrar was hit by a pitch with two outs, Haskins added some insurance for the Reddies with a towering blast to left which increased the lead to 9-6.

OBU threatened in the ninth, bringing the tying run to the plate with just one out in the inning, but Bebee closed the door with a ground ball double play to put it in the win column for HSU.

The Reddies return to action this Friday when they host Southeastern Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. in Arkadelphia.