MAGNOLIA, Ark. - For the first time in the Great American Conference era, Henderson State went into Magnolia, Ark., and took 2-of-3 against No. 7 Southern Arkansas, winning its third conference series of the 2024 season.

Coming into Monday's rubber match, SAU had lost just two GAC series' since the beginning of 2023, one of which came against the Reddies in Arkadelphia.

True freshmen Cal Jones (3-for-5) and Jordan Allen (3-for-5) combined to go 6-for-10 at the plate as five Henderson batters logged multiple hits in the series-clinching outing. Luke Farrar, Dillon Thomas and Nick Tremblay also recorded two RBI each.

Reese Weaks (3-0) earned his third consecutive win in as many appearances on the mound, going 5.0 innings, allowing just one run and four hits while striking out six Muleriders. Payton Byrd finished the job on the bump, throwing the final 2.2 frames, recording three strikeouts while giving up a pair of runs.

Each team recorded a single hit through the first two innings, but the Reddies were the first to get on the board with a two-run third off RBIs from Farrar and Thomas. With Weaks continuing to hold off SAU, HSU added another four runs in the fourth.

With two outs workign against the red-and-gray, Kaden Argenbright began a stretch of four straight singles from HSU bats to open a 6-0 advantage. That flurry of offense cooled off a bit, giving SAU the window to begin its climb back, cutting the deficit to three after six frames.

With momentum starting to shift towards the home team, a scoreless seventh on either side led way for pinch-hitter Nick Tremblay to suck all the energy out of the Goodheart Field, sending away a two-out, two-run homer to seize the five-run lead, 8-3.

Later in the inning, Landon Ervin completed a five-hit inning with his RBI single to bring the tally to 9-3 in favor of HSU. Southern Arkansas got two runs back in the eighth as the four-run disadvantage held till the final at-bat.

After SAU loaded the bases with two outs, bringing the tying run to the plate, Byrd issued a ground-out to set off the celebration that accompanies upsetting the No. 7 team in the land.

Henderson St. (12-11, 7-5 GAC) will turn right around and head to Clinton, Miss., to battle Mississippi College Tuesday, Mar. 12 at 3 p.m. Coverage links for the midweek contest can be found HERE.