ENID, Okla. -- Henderson State overcame a late deficit with a 3 run 7th inning and relied on masterful relief pitching to defeat Arkansas Monticello Saturday night, 4-3.  
 
The Reddies managed to reach base just once in each of the first three innings, but UAM's defense and starting pitching held strong, keeping Henderson off the scoreboard. Meanwhile, the Weevils were able to eke out a run in the second inning on a sacrifice fly; Caleb Wilson came in out of the bullpen to stop the bleeding and limit Monticello to just one run in the frame. 
 
After a Luke Rice double chased UAM starter Ruben Macias in the sixth, Jeremy Schork capitalized on the new pitcher, ripping a single into centerfield that scored Rice and tied the game. Back-to-back singles by Monticello in the bottom of the inning gave the Weevils the lead once again, but Mitchell Szcycgiel was able to work around two hit batsmen and a walk to minimize the damage. 
 
The top of the seventh was where the Reddie offense broke through; Cal Jones started the inning by drawing a walk and stealing second base. Nate Moore followed with a single of his own, advancing Jones to third, where Louis Holt drove him in with a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Luke Farrar then stepped to the plate, having been one for his last nine at-bats. But the senior second baseman was more than prepared for the moment, sending a long drive to the left centerfield gap for a two run home run, giving Henderson State their first lead of the game. Dawson Goines pitched a scoreless seventh, yielding just one hit, and Tyler Bates worked a perfect eighth and ninth inning to secure the save. Szcycgiel earned his second win in as many nights to improve to 4-2 on the season. 
 
With the win, the Reddies advance to the GAC Championship Series, and will play a best-of-three series at Jerry Moore Field in Searcy against the Harding Bisons beginning Friday. All three games will be broadcast on the GAC Sports Network.