CONWAY, Ark. –  Henderson State led 3-1 after three and a half innings, but Arkansas Tech would score six unanswered runs in the final two and a half frames to take the series opener 7-3.
 
Brooke Johnson got the start in the circle and went 4.0 innings and would drop to 1-1 on the year after giving up four runs on six hits and striking out three. At the plate, Johnson led the red-and-grey bats with two of the team's seven hits and recorded the game's only home run.

The Reddies and Golden Suns were locked at 1-1 after the first two innings after trading runs in the second. HSU struck first in the top half of the second after Miyah Jackson was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. Josie Copeland, in the following at-bat, knocked an RBI triple to right field to plate Jackson, and Copeland nearly turned the play to inside the park home run but was thrown out home. In the bottom half, Arkansas Tech tied the game after a throwing error by Johnson allowed ATU's leadoff hitter to reach home.  
 
HSU would add two more runs in the top of the fourth to extend its lead to 3-1. The first run came off the bat of Johnson, who blasted a solo home run over the right-center field wall. A single through the left side by Jorika Alvarez three batters later plated the next run to make 3-1. The Golden Suns were quick to reply, scoring three runs in the bottom half of the fourth to take their first lead of the game, 4-3.
 
Erika Bittinger came in for relief in the fifth for Johnson and would strand a base runner on second after getting back-to-back outs to close the inning. The Reddies then turned to Makenna Keeton in the sixth, where Arkansas Tech would add to its lead with another three runs, 7-3. Henderson had a chance to tie game in the top of the seventh with the bases loaded and Johnson at the plate, but the junior would go down on a ground out after a five-pitch at-bat.
 
Henderson (9-9) will look to tie the series and force a rubber match in tomorrow's first game of a doubleheader starting at noon.