COVERAGE LINKS
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State gets set to host Delta State this weekend in a three-game series starting on Saturday, Feb. 10 with a doubleheader at 10 a.m. and will concluded the series on Sunday at 12 p.m.
REDDIES REPORT
Henderson State went 1-5 in the Hawkins-McGhee Memorial Tournament to get the 2024 softball season underway. HSU's lone win came on opening day when they went to extra innings to defeat Missouri S&T 2-1. Transfer Jodi De Hart hit a walk-off single to center field in the bottom of the eighth to help secure the win.
The Reddies have a pair of hitters batting .500 after the start of the season, led by Justine Burch who recorded seven hits and five RBIs across the Hawkins-McGhee Memorial Tournament. Freshman Lily Warren joins Burch with a .500 batting average on six hits and three runs knocked in. Warren was also a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen bases, including two against Missouri Southern. After six games, Henderson is hitting .283 as a team and slugging .367.
Miyah Jackson showed to be one of the team's biggest bats over the weekend, tallying three doubles and a home run on seven hits. Jackson is second on the team in slugging (.591) behind freshman Macy Hoskins who slugged .667 with a home run and four hits during the tournament. The pair are batting just over .300 each and have combined for 21 total bases.
The last time Henderson State and Delta State took the diamond against each other was 2022, when the Lady Statesmen got the better of the the Reddies 3-0 in the series. DSU has won six of the last seven meetings, which gives them a 12- 5 lead in the head-to-head matchup. HSU's most recent victory over the Lady Statesmen was on the road in 2022.
SCOUTING DELTA STATE
Delta State is 0-3 to start the year after falling to No. 13 Southern Arkansas (7-3), Southeastern Oklahoma State (6-4) and Southern Nazarene (5-3). The Lady Statesmen were supposed to conclude the Mardi Gras Invitational with (RV) Harding, but the weather forced the game to be canceled. Before taking on the Reddies on Saturday and Sunday, DSU will first face Ouachita Baptist in a doubleheader on Friday.
Leading the batting lineup for the Lady Statesmen through three games is Abbi Cataldo with .400 batting average on four hits. Cataldo recorded hit in each game, including a 2-for-4 day at the plate against Southern Nazarene. As a unit, Delta State is hitting .241 to start the year and have scored an average of three runs in each contest. In the circle, Emma Enderud has seen the most actions so far, having pitched 7.2 innings with a 4.75 ERA over three appearances.
