CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | ENID, Okla. – Southern Arkansas scored seven runs late off of the Henderson State bullpen to pull out a 9-7 win in Monday’s second Great American Conference Baseball Championship contest from David Allen Memorial Ballpark. Austin Baker capped the five-run seventh inning with a go-ahead grand slam.
The Muleriders (34-17) trailed for the first six and a half innings before the five-runs outburst in seventh. They added two more in the eighth. Eric White earned the win after tossing 2.1 innings of hitless relief.
All-GAC Honorable Mention Zack Gray gave the Reddies (30-20) an early lead in the top of the first inning when he hit his 10th home run. Following a walk and a base hit to open the game, Gray took the second pitch from First Team All-Conference left hander Kenneth Tabor over the wall for a three-run shot.
Henderson State extended its lead to 5-0 in the second when Joseph Shepherd cranked his second home run of the tournament. The Muleriders got on the board in the third when Baker scored on a fielder’s choice.
After surrendering five runs in his first two innings, Tabor settled in and allowed just one base runner over the next three frames. Henderson State scored its sixth run when White uncorked a wild pitch to the first batter he faced which allowed Dylan McCain to score to extend the Reddie advantage to 6-1.
Southern Arkansas chipped away at the deficit with a run in the next half inning when Baker singled through the left side to score Cole Boyd. They Muleriders changed the game in the seventh when they exploded for five runs to take a 7-6 edge.
After HSU reliever Brayden Bebee issued two walks and hit two batters, Zach Muldoon chased home Dakota Wright with an infield single to third base. Two batters later, Baker drove the first pitch he saw clear over the wall in left.
Henderson State answered by tying the game in it half of the eighth as the Reddies converted a leadoff walk to Gray into their seventh run. SAU retook the lead when a critical two-out error allowed both Wright and Cortland McPherson to cross the plate.
Nick Starr picked up his sixth save as he struck out three Reddies in the ninth inning secure the Mulerider victory. SAU improved to 13-0 in elimination games played in Enid.
Southern Arkansas will advance to face Oklahoma Baptist Tuesday regardless of the outcome of Monday night’s Oklahoma Baptist-Arkansas Tech rematch. If the Bison win, SAU will need to defeat Oklahoma Baptist twice to claim its fifth GAC title. If the Wonder Boys prevail, the Mulerider-Bison winner will meet Tech with the title on the line.