ARKADELPHIA -- Henderson State rallied from a four-run deficit to beat No. 25 Southern Arkansas, 5-4, in game one of a doubleheader on Sunday at Clyde Berry Field.
The Reddies (23-13, 17-7 Great American Conference) claimed the series with the win after taking the first game on Saturday, 4-3. Southern Arkansas (24-11, 17-7) won the finale, 7-3.
The Muleriders entered the weekend with a one-game lead on Henderson for second place in the conference standings. No. 19 Arkansas-Monticello is atop the GAC at 26-9 overall and 20-4 in conference play.
The Reddies trailed, 4-0, after five innings in the first game of the twin bill, but battled back. They scored a run in the sixth inning as Joe Myers delivered a double to score Caleb Carr, who led off the inning with a walk.
In the seventh inning, Nolan Ryan hit a one-out double to right-center field. After Daniel Colasanto grounded out to move Ryan to third, Dylan McCain singled to left field to score Ryan with McCain advancing to second on the throw.
The inning continued as Myers plated McCain on a base hit to right-center field to make the score 4-3.
In the Henderson ninth, the Reddies were facing one of the top relievers in the GAC in Eric White. With two-outs and Jake Dunn on first base, Myers was at the plate and faced a 0-2 count. The Reddie sophomore collected his second double of the game to score Dunn and tie the game at 4-4.
Southern Arkansas elected to intentionally walk Henderson's home run leader, Zack Gray, to face Brentten Schwaab. The game went into extra innings after Nathan Stubber caught a deep fly ball against the left field wall.
Taylor Langston entered the game in the 10th inning to pitch for the Reddies. The Henderson reliever held the Muleriders scoreless in the top half of the inning.
In the bottom half of the inning, Southern Arkansas sent Nick Starr to the mound. Brandon Pollock began the inning for Henderson and reached on a walk. He was followed by Bryson Haskins, who hit a single to left field. Ryan advanced both runners on a sacrifice bunt.
Southern Arkansas attempted to load the bases by intentionally walking Dalton Guthrie, but Starr's second pitch was wild and went to the backstop, allowing Pollock to score the winning run.
Daniel Sprinkle (3-2) started the game for the Reddies and pitched seven innings. He struck out a career-best eight batters in the no-decision. Kris Priddy (4-2) held the Muleriders in check for two innings before Langston (2-1) entered in the 10th.
Myers went 3-for-5 in the game with two doubles and three RBIs. Carr and Haskins each had two hits.
Southern Arkansas collected 10 hits in game three of the series as Kenneth Tabor (8-1) struck out 11 Reddies in a 7-3 victory. He allowed just one hit in the first five innings.
Henderson scored all of its runs in the sixth inning. Pollock hit an RBI double and Ryan hit a run-scoring triple in the frame.
Tabor worked around a leadoff double in the seventh inning and struck out the side.
The Muleriders totaled 10 hits in the win, with four going for extra bases. Seven of the nine batters in the starting lineup had a hit in the second game.
Jake Tisevich, Jacob Richardson and James Trevanion all had multiple hits. Richardson and Trevanion added multiple RBIs, with Richardson driving in two and Trevanion three.
Richardson's RBI double in the first inning scored the first run of the game for the Muleriders. His RBI single in the fifth was the first of what were three runs to cross the plate that inning.
Schwaab and senior starting pitcher Bryant Haralson led the Reddies to a the 4-3 win on Saturday. Schwaab collected three of Henderson's 12 hits, including two doubles.
Haralson (6-2) struck out six batters and gave up just five hits in a complete game.
Lake Hamilton graduate Zach Muldoon, a redshirt sophomore catcher, gave the Muleriders a 2-0 lead in the thinning with a two-run home run to center field.
The Reddies answered in the fifth inning as Myers reached base on a one-out single and advanced to third on a single by Gray to right field. Myers scored on a groundout by Schwaab to make the score 2-1.
Henderson struck again with two outs in the sixth as Ryan reached on an error to begin the inning. Mulerider pitcher Hunter Vasquez retired the next two batters before Carr singled to move Ryan to third base.
Myers tied the game with a single to right field to score Ryan. Gray gave Henderson the lead with a double to right field to score Carr. Myers attempted to score from first on the play, but he was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
Henderson added a run in the seventh as Schwaab led off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Ryan to give the Reddies a 4-2 advantage.
The Muleriders added an unearned run in the eighth inning, but Haralson retired the side in the ninth.
Southern Arkansas is scheduled to return to Arkadelphia today for a 3 p.m. non-conference game at Ouachita Baptist's Rab Rodgers Field. Henderson is scheduled for a 6 p.m. game Wednesday at Clyde Berry Field against Christian Brothers.
Sports on 04/10/2018