Box Score ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - After falling behind 4-0 following the first inning, Henderson State scored nine unanswered runs to start GAC play 1-0 with a 9-5 win over Southwestern Oklahoma State Friday afternoon.

The Reddies threw just two pitchers as they got excellent performances from Kyle Williams (1-0), got the win with the start, and Owen Vanthillo. Williams threw five innings, allowing just four runs on three walks and two hits. Two walks, and one hit came in the first inning before shutting out SWOSU in his remaining four frames.

Luke Rice (3-5) and Louis Holt (2-4) continued their hot starts to the season, combining for five hits, three RBI and three runs scored. Rice delivered one of HSU's two doubles on the afternoon, along with Kaden Argenbright.

After the Bulldogs scored four runs on just one hit, SWOSU delivered just one more until the eighth inning. With that scoring hiatus, Henderson got two on the board with a two-RBI double from Rice in the third to cut the lead to two, 4-2.

Later in the fifth, the Reddies saw their first lead of the game with three runs on three hits from Holt, Rice and Argenbright and two Bulldog fielding errors. Another run in the sixth grew the lead to two, 6-4, before a three-run seventh put the game on ice.

After Henderson plated its first run in the seventh off a wild pitch, catcher Landon Ervin came through with his second hit of the game to score another two runs for the visitors to bring its total to nine.

Southwestern's offense finally got going in the ninth, but Vanthillo slammed the door on the Bulldogs' last-ditch effort after they loaded the bases, getting a single run back in the effort.

Henderson State (5-4, 1-0 GAC) will return to SWOSU Baseball Field for a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. with the series finale set for 3 p.m.