By COURTLIN HAYGARTH | HSU Sports Network

ARKADELPHIA — Henderson State held a 4-0 lead through seven innings until Newman tallied two runs in the eighth and ninth inning before the Jets hit into a double play to finish things off, 4-2. Mitchell Szczygiel recorded his first career save as a Reddie while Ryan Galvan (1-0) pitched six complete innings of scoreless work to earn the win.

Of HSU’s six hits on the night, Dillon Thomas was responsible for three of them along with one RBI. Cade Tucker accumulated the three other RBIs with one swing of the bat thanks to his bases-clearing triple in the fourth inning. 

After Galvan worked a quick three-up, three-down in the top of the first, Thomas used a two-out single to right field to score Luke Farrar to get the scoring started. The Reddies were forced to strand two runners, however, as play stood at 1-0 until the fourth frame.

With the Jets still without a single hit, Thomas got the bottom of the fourth started with his second single of the night, followed by an Austin Scritchfield hit-by-pitch and a Cowart error-induced appearance on first, leading the way for Tucker.

The redshirt senior sent a fly-ball high into the night sky, causing the Newman right fielder to lose track of it as the baseball fell innocently to the turf, scoring all three base runners to open up the game, 4-0.

The Reddie pitching staff continued to hold the Jets offense at bay, with NU logging just three more hits through the seventh inning. The top of the eighth is where Newman saw a little action after an HSU error, mixed with a walk, a wild pitch and a passed ball opened the window for the visitors to secure their first run.

After Henderson threatened to extend its lead in the bottom of the eighth, yet to no avail, a lead-off triple to right center in the ninth crossed the plate two batters later on a wild pitch as the lead shrunk to two, 4-2. Two more Jets got on base after that as the go-ahead run came to the plate with just one out against them. A pop-up to third base turned into a double play with the throw to first getting the first-base runner for the third and final out.

Henderson St. (3-2) returns to Clyde Berry Field tomorrow for the final two games of the HSU Invitational, beginning with McKendree at 11 a.m. followed by Lane College at 2:30 p.m.