Road win ties Reddies for first with UAM

MONTICELLO — Joe Myers’ two-run double in the seventh inning lifted Henderson State to a 12-10 victory over 17th-ranked Arkansas-Monticello Friday at Weevil Field.

With the win, the Reddies improve to 20-10 on the year and are tied for first-place in the Great American Conference, along with Monticello, both teams having a league mark of 15-4.

Henderson jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first-inning. Caleb Carr and Jordan Harris led off the game with back-to-back singles, with Zack Gray advancing both runners with a sacrifice bunt. Brentten Schwaab drove in the first run when he reached on an error. Harris scored later in the frame when Nolan Ryan reached on another Monticello error.

The Reddie lead increased to 3-0 the next inning as Joseph Shepherd walked to lead off the inning and advanced to third on Carr’s second hit of the game. Harris brought home Shepherd on a sacrifice fly to left field.

Monticello answered with a two-run home run by Jordan Johnson in the bottom of the second to make the score 3-2.

The Reddies erupted for four runs in the top half of the third with the help of Carr’s two-run triple and an RBI double by Harris to make the score 7-2.

The Weevils scored three runs in the third-inning to cut the deficit to 7-5, then took the lead the next inning getting a grand slam from Brian Ray to make the score 9-7.

With one out in the Henderson sixth, Schwaab reached on a walk with Brandon Pollock following with a single to right field. Both runners advance on a wild pitch, with Myers plating Schwaab on a sacrifice fly to left field. Pollock tied the game at 9-9 when he scored on a single by Ryan.

The Reddies took the lead for good in the seventh as Shepherd started off the inning with a single up the middle. After a sacrifice bunt by Carr, Harris collected his third hit of the game with a single to left field to put runners on the corners with one out.

Gray brought home the first run of the inning when he singled to right field to score Shepherd. The Reddies loaded the bases as Schwaab was hit by a pitch to set the stage for Myers.

With two outs, Myers hit a double down the left field line to give the Reddies a 12-9 advantage.

Monticello scored a run in the eighth inning, but Taylor Langston relieved Reddie starting pitcher Bryant Haralson (5-2) and finished the game to pick up his sixth save of the year.

Langston pitched two innings and struck out two batters, while Haralson pitched seven-plus innings, striking out six batters..

Henderson totaled 13 hits in the game with Carr and Harris leading the way, both going 3-for-5 at the plate with each having a pair of runs batted in.

The two teams will finish the three-game series with a doubleheader today. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.