ARKADELPHIA, ARK. – Henderson State picks up its first conference series win this season, winning the rubber match against East Central 5-0 to take two of three games from the Tigers.
 
HSU (13-18, 5-12) racked up 11 hits over the contest and did most of the damage in the bottom of the second, scoring four runs on six hits. Four players tallied a multiple-hit game with Jorika Alvarez, Lily Warren, Emylee Bittinger and Katelyn McMahan all recording two hits each.
 
Brooke Johnson got her third win in the circle, pitching 4.0 scoreless frames with four strikeouts and four hits allowed. McMahan pitched the final three frames, giving up zero runs and punching out two batters, and earned her first save of the season.
 
Henderson limited the ECU offense through starting pitcher Johnson, who kept the Tigers off the scoreboard in the first four innings. During this stretch, the Reddies would strike first in the bottom of the second to take an early 4-0 lead.
 
With two outs and runners on second and third, the designated player, Alvarez, hit a double to right center field to plate the first run. Warren would bat in the next score on an RBI single up the middle to make it 2-0. The following at-bat, Akers lined a double to right center field to plate two more runs and extend the Reddies' edge to 4-0.
 
From there, ECU kept the HSU offense in check for the next two innings, but a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fifth by Em. Bittinger would make it 5-0. he freshman's blast over the left field wall is Bittinger's first home run of the season.
 
Relief pitcher McMahan faced the minimum in the sixth after stranding a baserunner in the fifth and would strand a pair of ECU runners in the top of the seventh to help clinch the series against East Central. 
 
Henderson remains at home for midweek action against Union University in a twin bill on Wednesday, Mar. 27. The first pitch for game one is at 2 p.m. from Dee White Field.