CLEVELAND, Miss. – Henderson State and Delta State split Wednesday's doubleheader after HSU opened the twin bill with a 2-0 win, and DSU would follow a 5-4 victory in eight innings.
 
In game one, Presley Applegate got her first win of the season in the circle, pitching 5.0 scoreless frames, and relief pitcher Katelyn McMahan picked up her third save of the year after allowing zero runs in the seventh inning. Justine Burch and Hilary Akers led the team at the plate with two hits and two RBIs, respectively.
 
Akers and Macy Hoskins paced the red-and-grey with two hits each and a run scored in the second contest, while Emylee Bittinger and McMahan both had a home run. Makenna Keeton pitched 7.2 innings and surrendered five runs on nine hits, and struck out three batters.
 
HSU (16-22, 7-13) is back in action on Apr. 5-6 for a weekend conference series against Arkansas-Monticello, beginning on Friday at 5 p.m. from Dee White Field.  
 
GAME ONE: HSU 2, DSU 0
Henderson found the first two runs of the game in the top of the third after Jorika Alvarez and Mackenzie Williams reached safely. Akers soon made her way to the plate and knocked a double over Delta State's shortstop into left-center field to score the pair and give HSU a 2-0 lead.
 
The Lady Statesmen threatened to score in the bottom in half of the third with runners on first and third and no outs. DSU attempted a double steal play for second and home, but the Reddies' defense threw out both runners to escape the frame.   
 
Starting pitcher Presley Applegate turned the ball over to Erika Bittinger in the bottom of the sixth after throwing 5.0 scoreless innings and recording two strikeouts. Bittinger was quickly put under pressure by the Lady Statesmen bats in the bottom of the sixth as DSU loaded the bases with two outs. HSU was able to find the final out of the frame to keep it 2-0 following a groundout.
 
Katelyn McMahan was handed the final inning in the circle and got the leadoff out to start the frame. DSU continued to battle, placing runners on second and third with one out and bringing the winning run to the plate. The Reddies would turn their second double play of the game, and the most important one, to get the final two outs to secure a 2-0 win in game one.  
 
GAME TWO: DSU 5, HSU 4
Delta State took the early lead in the bottom of the first after three hits to lead 2-0. Henderson soon replied in the top of the third with a four-run inning to go in front 4-2 after Em. Bittinger and McMahan each recorded a two-run home run.
 
The Lady Statesmen pulled a run back to make it 4-3 in the bottom of the third on a fielding error by HSU's shortstop, scoring a runner from third. The two sides went scoreless in the fifth frame for the first scoreless inning since the second, and both pitchers would put zeros in the sixth.
 
Delta State eventually tied the game in the bottom of the seventh after starting the frame with a leadoff single. Two batters later, the leadoff runner reached home on a double to left-center field to tie the game 4-4 and send the game to extra innings.

The Reddies had a runner on third with one out in the top of the eight, but back-to-back grounds would strand the runner in scoring position. Delta Stat sent two batters to the plate in the eighth, who would bat around the runner placed on second to the second contest 5-4.