HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — Pinch hitter Luke Farrar delivered a walk off hit with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday evening to help No. 2 seed Henderson State outlast No. 7 Arkansas-Monticello 2-1 in the opening round of the GAC Tournament.

With the win, the Reddies (36-14) advance to the winner's bracket contest tomorrow at 12:40 p.m. and will face the winner of the contest between No. 3 Harding and No. 6 Oklahoma Baptist.

Starter and First Team All-GAC honoree Spencer Taack was phenomenal on the mound for HSU. Taack pitched 6.2 innings and allowed no runs on seven hits. He struck out three batters and walked just one. Greyson Stevens had two of the Reddies' five hits in the game and drove in a run.

In what was a tight, low-scoring game throughout, Henderson grabbed a 1-0 lead in the sixth on a manufactured run. Kaden Argenbright reached on a walk and was brought home on a groundout, a passed ball and an RBI fielder's choice from Stevens.

The Weevils, who stranded 11 baserunners on the night, threatened in the seventh by loading the bases with two outs, but Brayden Bebee recorded a strikeout to help HSU escape the jam unscathed. 

Down to its final three outs in the ninth, UAM answered to tie the game. Monticello used a base hit, a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch and a squeeze play to knot the score at 1-1, but Andrew Howard limited the damage and left two Weevils stranded to give the Reddies a chance to win it with a run in the bottom half.

A lead off double from Cade Tucker got Henderson started fast in the final frame. With Tucker standing on second and no outs, HSU tried to bunt him to third, but the pitch got away and left the Reddies with the winning run on third and no outs.

After back-to-back walks to load the bases, it was Farrar who was called upon to win it for the Reddies. On a 2-1 count, he delivered, and rocketed a ball over the head of the right fielder to bring home the winning run and set off a wild celebration from the HSU dugout.