ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Henderson State took both halves of Friday night's doubleheader with rival Ouachita Baptist to clinch the weekend series and set a new school record for wins in a single season with 35.
The Reddies (35-13, 23-9) locked up the No. 2 seed at next week's GAC Tournament in Hot Springs, Arkansas and secured their fourth-straight conference series. The series win was HSU's eighth overall this year. Henderson's 23 league victories is the most for the program since the inception of the GAC in 2011-12.
HSU will look to sweep its cross-street rival tomorrow in the series and regular season finale at 12Â p.m.
GAME 1: Henderson State 4, Ouachita Baptist 2
The Reddies got 2.2 scoreless innings of relief from Brayden Bebee and scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat Ouachita Baptist 4-2 in the series opener.
The victory was Henderson's 34th of the season, tying the school record set in 2009. The win clinched the No. 2 seed for the Reddies at next week's GAC Tournament — the highest seed for the program since the inception of the league in 2011-12.
Bebee was excellent in what could be his final appearance at Clyde Berry Field. He allowed no runs on no hits, walked just one batter and struck out six. Spencer Taack got a no-decision after pitching 6.1 innings and surrendering two runs on six hits. The righty walked four Tiger batters and struck out three.
Kaden Argenbright led HSU at the plate and went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and the go-ahead RBI in the eighth. Greyson Stevens, who entered the game tied for the program's all-time lead in RBIs, drove in a run on his single in the fourth inning to become the new RBI king at Henderson State with 129 in his career.
Ouachita had chances to break the game open throughout, particularly early. The Tigers stranded 11 base runners and left the bases loaded in the first and second inning.
Down 1-0 in the fourth, the Reddies took the lead by scoring two runs on four hits in the inning. Stevens and Dillon Thomas each had RBIs in the frame for HSU.
The Tigers tied things up with an RBI double in the seventh, but Bebee kept the game knotted at 2-2 by striking out back-to-back OBU hitters and stranding the potential go-ahead run at second base.
The Reddies seized the lead back in the eighth on back-to-back doubles from Luke Farrar and Argenbright to lead off the inning. An insurance run scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-2, and that was all the cushion Bebee needed, as he closed it out in the ninth with three strikeouts.Â
GAME 2: Henderson State 7, Ouachita Baptist 4
Cade Tucker blasted two home runs and the Reddies held off a late charge from the Tigers to win the series with a 7-4 victory in the seven-inning game on Friday night.
Tucker finished 3-for-3 in game two with two home runs, a double, three runs scored and three RBIs. Braden Carpenter also drove in three runs on a clutch, bases-clearing double in the second inning.
Ryan Galvan earned his sixth win of the season and improved to 6-0 by pitching five innings and allowing two runs on five hits. Galvan struck out three OBU batters.
Carpenter's double set the tone early for HSU in the second inning when he lifted a ball over the Ouachita centerfielder's head to unload the bases and give Henderson a 3-0 lead. It was the second double of Carpenter's career and just his ninth hit this year.
Tucker kept the party going for the Reddies in the third, as he launched a no-doubt homer over the fence in left field to make it 4-0. OBU got a run back in the fifth after an HSU error, but Tucker answered once again in the bottom half when he crushed a two-run shot out to center. His second deep fly of the day made it 6-1, Henderson.
After the two sides traded runs in the sixth, Ouachita did its best to make things interesting in the seventh as the Tigers loaded the bases with no outs. Despite the threat, the lead proved to be enough for the Reddies, as they traded outs for runs and held on for a 7-4 win.
