SPRINGDALE, Ark. - Henderson State grabbed a win in the GAC Tournament over Ouachita Baptist in the day's first elimination game, 11-3, before falling to Oklahoma Baptist in the second contest of the day, 14-10. The loss to the Bison eliminates HSU a game shy of reaching the finals.

The Reddies finish the 2023 regular season and the conference tournament with a 33-22 record - its second consecutive season to reach the 30-win plateau - and a 21-12 GAC record. Henderson, who won 10 of their 12 league series' this season, including its final seven, will now await the Selection Show Sunday at 10 p.m. ET to see if a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row is in the cards.

Included in those series wins was then-No. 9 Southern Arkansas, then-No. 26 Ouachita Baptist and Top-10 region squad Arkansas-Monticello (twice). Overall, HSU recorded 11 wins versus regionally-ranked teams. 

GAME ONE: Henderson State 11, Ouachita Baptist 3
The Reddies delivered another solid pitching performance in the first game of the day. This time, the offense followed to the tune of 11 runs on 17 hits.

Both teams stranded a runner on second in the first inning before HSU added the game's first runs with two in the top of the second. Three straight singles to lead off the frame followed by a Luke Farrar fielder's choice put Henderson ahead, 2-0. A single run from Ouachita in the bottom of the inning brought the tally to 2-1.

Each squad's starting pitchers held the other scoreless over the next three innings with HSU seeing three hits during that time compared to OUA's one. The Reddie offense got going in the sixth with its first crooked number of the contest, plating three runs on three hits. After a lead-off double from Jacob Carroll and an RBI-single from Farrar, Greyson Stevens delivered the first big hit on either side with a two-out, two-run shot over the right field wall to establish a 5-1 lead.

With Henry Coppens relieving starting pitcher Andrew Howard in the sixth, a single Tiger run cut into the deficit slightly, 5-2, before the momentum of the big sixth spilled over into the eighth and ninth, where Henderson combined for six runs on six hits, including a solo home run from Luke Rice in the penultimate inning and consecutive doubles from Logan Cowart and Farrar in the final frame.

Ouachita split the two big red-and-gray innings by getting one run back before Payton Byrd came to the mound in the ninth to eliminate Ouachita Baptist from the 2023 GAC Tournament with a nonchalant three up, three down to stave off elimination for Henderson for at least one more game.

GAME TWO: Oklahoma Baptist 14, Henderson State 10
A near-miracle late in the day's latter game fell just short as Henderson out-hit the Bison through eight innings, but failed to record a single extra-base hit during that time compared to OKBU's seven additional-base knocks, including a pair of home runs.

Both teams scored off singles in the first inning while leaving more to be had with OKBU leaving two on the basepaths while HSU had the bases loaded with one out before hitting into a double play. Oklahoma Baptist then scored in each of the the next three innings while the Reddies saw scored a single run in the same time.

Trailing 8-2 in the fifth inning, both teams traded just one run over the next three frames despite HSU being forced to strand four guys on base during that time as part of 13 runners left on base for the red-and-gray.

A 9-3 lead was extended to 14-3 after a five-run top of the ninth for the Bison gave OKBU the cushion it needed after Henderson attempted some last-inning magic. With one last chance to mount a miraculous comeback, the Reddies scored seven runs in its last at-bat with two outs before the tying run eventually came to the plate with the bases juiced before a strikeout ended the contest, 14-10.