Henderson State rallies past Southern Arkansas

ARKADELPHIA - Henderson State scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth-inning to rally for a 6-4 win over No. 17 Southern Arkansas on Tuesday at Clyde Berry Field.

Henderson State (27-17) collected nine hits in the game, including five extra-base hits with a pair of home runs, two doubles and a triple to beat the Muleriders.

Trailing 4-3, Parker Jones started things for the Reddies with a double to left-center and advanced on a Joe Myers sacrifice bunt.

Dylan McCain then doubled to left to score Jones to tie the game at 4-4.

Luke McGuire pinch ran for McCain and advanced to third on a ground out by Nolan Ryan. McGuire later scored on a passed ball to put the Reddies up by a run.

Henderson wasn’t finished, as former Smackover standout Jackson Martin walked and scored when Alan Hall laced a triple to right-center for the final run of the inning.

Relief pitcher Blake Patterson entered the game in the final inning, retiring the side in order to pick up his 10th save of the year.

Southern Arkansas (34-11) got on the board first, putting up two runs in the third with the help of a two-run double by Mark Fontenot to give the Muleriders a 2-0 lead.

Henderson looked to put a big inning together in the fourth-inning as the Reddies loaded the bases getting a walk, hit batter and a single by Myers.

After a fielder’s choice retired Colton Coffman at home, Ryan forced in a run when he walked to cut the deficit to 2-1. However, the Reddies could not plate a run as Hunter Vasquez retired the next two batters.

Henderson tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth, as Coffman took Vasquez’s 3-1 pitch over the left-center fence.

Not to be outdone, Myers began the sixth with a solo home run of his own to give the Reddies a 3-2 advantage.

The Muleriders responded with two runs in the top of the seventh inning with the big hit being a run-scoring triple by Sam Mrstik.

The Reddies used five pitchers in the game with Austin Cross getting the start and pitching five solid innings. The Ashdown native gave up two runs on five hits while striking out three batters in a no-decision.

Coffman pitched the eighth inning, retiring the side in order to get the win and improve to 1-0.

The Reddies will play their final regular-season Great American Conference series at Ouachita Baptist, beginning with a single game Friday at 3 p.m.