ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - It took 11 innings before game one of the 2024 GAC Tournament first-round best-of-three series was decided as No. 4 seed Henderson State fell to the No. 5 seed Southern Arkansas, 6-5.

Kaden Argenbright was exceptional in the first game of his final weekend series at Clyde Berry Field, finishing with three hits while batting in four of HSU's five runs. Argenbright is now just one RBI and two runs shy of 200 career RBI and runs scored to go with his 305 career hits.

Nate Moore was the other Reddie to claim multiple hits on the evening with a 2-for-5 day while also scoring two runs. The duo was responsible for five of Henderson's seven hits in the opener.

On the mound, Baylor Brumley saw the best outing of the three HSU pitchers, working three innings with a pair of strikeouts without allowing a single hit to earn the no-decision. 

Henderson St. got the scoring started with a three-spot in the bottom of the second inning. Following the second out of the frame with a man on base, back-to-back walks and a hit-by-pitch plated the opening run. Argenbright then came to the dish to bring home two more runs for the 3-0 lead.

Southern Arkansas immediately fought back to take the lead in the top of the third. Despite two quick strikeouts from starting pitcher Reese Weaks, the next five Mulerider batters got on base as a two-run home run and a two-RBI double saw the Reddies trailing, 4-3.

Single runs were had by both sides in the fourth before the game-tying run from HSU came in the sixth off Argenbright's fourth RBI of the game. From there, the red-and-gray managed just one more hit across the final five innings.

In the bottom of the ninth, Henderson was moments away from a walk-off scenario before, with the bases loaded, the GAC's best pitching team in Southern Arkansas recorded a strikeout to give the fans at Clyde Berry Field free baseball.

With the score remaining tied throughout the 10th frame, the Muleriders delivered the game's first run since the sixth inning with a solo home run to go ahead, 6-5. Two outs before a Louis Holt walk brought the game-winning run to the plate, but another strikeout from an SAU pitcher ended game-one action.

Game two of this weekend's best-of-three GAC Tournament opening-round series will begin Saturday, May 4 at 1 p.m. Henderson State will need to win the 1 p.m. contest in order to force a winner-take-all game three at approximately 4 p.m.