Brewer pitches Henderson State to victory over Missouri Western
ARKADELPHIA – Smackover graduate Mallory Brewer pounded the zone on Saturday morning and finished with 63 strikes on 82 pitches, while Henderson's bats came up clutch as the Reddies hit three home runs with two outs to defeat Missouri Western State 8-2 in the third game of the Alvy Early Memorial Classic.
After leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, the Reddies got the bats going in the third. Trailing 2-0, Lindsey Williams got things started with a slap-hit single down the third base line. After a pair of advancements, Madie Green came up clutch, poking a base hit over the head of the MWSU first baseman to put the Reddies on the board and make the score 2-1.
Green's RBI brought Abbie Moore to the plate and the freshman sent a 1-2 changeup over the left field wall for her first career home run, giving the Reddies their first lead of the morning, 3-2.
In the top of the fourth, Brewer set down the Missouri Western lineup in order for the second-straight inning, bringing the Reddies back to the plate looking to extend the lead.
Ashleigh Erb doubled to start the frame and Ashlyn Taylor brought her home with a single down the left field line to make it 4-2 HSU.
After Taylor advanced to second on the throw and third on a sacrifice,
Marcela Lopez reached safely on a bunt single, bringing
Taylor home and pushing the lead out to 5-2.
After a pop-out, Green took a 1-0 fastball for a ride, sending it over the center field wall for the Reddies second two-out, tworun home run, which pushed HSU's advantage to 7-2. It was Green's first home run of the season, as she became the first Reddies player to reach double-digit RBIs with 11 this year.
The Reddies would extend the lead in the fifth inning. Brewer induced groundouts to third, short, and second in the top half, extending her streak of retired batters to ten. In the bottom of the fifth, it was Taylor's turn to go deep. The freshman turned on a 1-2 pitch and deposited it over the center field fence for the third Henderson home run of the day and the first of Taylor's career.
Brewer finished things off herself in the top of the seventh. With runners on first and second, the sophomore caught a line-drive and flipped to first for a double-play to end the game and secure her fourth win of the season as the Reddies prevailed 8-2.
HSU finished with 14 hits on the day — 10 of which came from the first five spots in the order. Brewer was terrific and allowed just one earned run on five hits in a complete game effort.
Henderson State (5-5) will return to action today, hosting Maryville University at 9 a.m. and Emporia State at 11 a.m.