ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – After falling 3-1 in the first game, Henderson State evened the series in the second contest of Saturday's doubleheader against East Central with a 5-1 victory. HSU and ECU will play for the series on Sunday, with the rubber match set to begin at noon.
 
Hilary Akers and Justine Burch led the team with three hits across the two games, while HSU would finish with 11 total hits in the twin bill. Josie Copeland, Akers and Burch all saw a multi-hit game in the second contest, and each scored a run.
 
Brooke Johnson got her second win this season inside the circle with five strikeouts in 5.0 innings in game two and allowed just one run on six hits. Meagan Allen picked up her first save of the year, pitching two scoreless frames to close out the contest.  
 
GAME ONE: ECU 3, HSU 1
ECU's fast start saw the Tigers jump to a 3-0 lead in the first inning after beginning the frame with a leadoff home run. Two more runs crossed following another three hits and a fielding error by HSU. 
 
The Reddies' first hit would come in the bottom of the fifth off the bat of Justine Burch, who knocked a double to right center field to put runners on second and third, but ECU's pitcher Taylor Spencer worked out the jam to strand the pair and keep the red-and-grey off the scoreboard. 
 
HSU would pull a run back in the bottom of the sixth after a solo home run by Akers before East Central got the final three outs in the seventh to take game one 3-1. 
 
Makenna Keeton and Presley Applegate pitched 6.0 scoreless innings in relief after starting pitcher Allen pitched 1.0 frames and gave up three runs on four hits. Akers and Burch notched the Reddies' only two hits in the series opener. 
 
GAME TWO: HSU 5, ECU 1
The Reddies threatened to put the first score on the board in the bottom of the first with the bases loaded and just one out, but East Central was able to work out of the jam and strand all three runners. ECU would take the lead in the second, scoring a run on two hits, and would strand a pair of bases runners.
 
Following a scoreless third inning, Henderson tied the game in the bottom of the fourth 1-1 on a sacrifice flyout by Macy Hoskins to score pinch runner Bre Jones. Henderson added another three runs in the fifth to take the lead for the first time, 4-1. 
 
HSU had the bases loaded for a second time in the contest in the fifth after hits by Burch, Jorika Alvarez, and Copeland. A single up the middle by Jay Albiter plated the first run, and a fielder's choice scored Alvarez from third to make it 3-1. Copeland would come home on a wild pitch for the third and final run of the inning.
 
Akers scored in the bottom of the sixth on a passed ball to extend Henderson's advantage to 5-1, going into the top of the seventh. Allen came in for relief in the top sixth and got ECU to retire in order but was soon under pressure in the seventh with runners first and second with one out. Following a mound meeting, Allen struck out the final two at-bats for East Central to even the series 1-1.