ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Henderson State softball team sweeps cross-street rival Ouachita Baptist in the midweek with a 6-2 win in the first game and a 6-3 victory in the second.
 
Brooke Johnson was three-of-six at the plate across the two contests and tallied seven RBIs, a home run and stuck out zero times. In the circle, the sophomore pitcher threw all 7.0 innings of the first game and logged her fourth win of the season.
 
GAME ONE: HSU 6, OUA 2
Ouachita Baptist had a strong start to the game, adding an early run in the first inning on its third at-bat. Heading into the bottom half of the opening frame, lead-off hitter Abbie Moore was on deck to get the Reddie bats going, and she did just that, blasting a home run on the second pitch she saw to tie the game 1-1.
 
Brooke Johnson started in the circle and recorded four strikeouts in the first four frames after punching out the side in the top of the fourth as Ouachita Baptist went three-up and three-down. HSU had runners on first and second in the bottom half of the fourth, but two consecutive outs would strand the pair.   
 
In the fifth, Henderson had runners on base with two outs, and Katilyn O'Quinn would double to score the runner on second to tie the game 2-2. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases and eventually added another run for HSU, 3-2. Johnson blew the game open with a bases-clearing single to extend the Reddies' advantage to four, 6-2.
 
Johnson started in the circle and threw a complete game, giving up two runs on five and had four strikeouts. At the plate, O'Quinn went 2-3, including a double and an RBI. Johnson had one hit on three attempts and logged three RBIs.
 
GAME TWO: HSU 6, OUA 3
Savannah Carrigan kept the Tigers bat's at bay through the opening four innings, giving up two hits on 14 at-bats. O'Quinn logged her only hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth and did what she has done all season, stealing second after reaching. Johnson stepped up and hit the team's second homer of the afternoon, knocking a two-run blast over the left field wall.
 
Ouachita Baptist took advantage of an error and walk to tie the game at 2-2 on a double and ground out in the fifth. However, the Reddies responded with a four-run inning in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead.
 
HSU's first two at-bats in the sixth were ground-outs, putting the team behind early. Then, a walk from O'Quinn and hits by Josie Copeland and Johnson doubled the team's lead to 4-2.  Pinch hitter Madison Treutlein came in and knocked a single down the left-field line to score the runner on second. Justine Burch added the final run of the frame with a double off the wall in center field to score Treutlein from first.
 
Henderson State (13-14, 5-6) remains at home for a weekend series against Southeastern Oklahoma State on Friday, Mar. 17 with a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. The Reddies will conclude the series the following day with a doubleheader.