Game 12: No. 2 Henderson State 7, No. 5 Ouachita 5
The Reddies reached the final the fifth time in program history by eliminating rival Ouachita, 7-5.
After Austin Cross gave the Reddies (38-14) 6.0 innings of three-hit, one-run baseball, the Henderson State relievers struggled to consistently find the strike zone. Three relievers walked eight batters over the final three innings and allowed the Tigers to score four runs on only three hits.
The Tigers (32-22) struggled hitting with runners on throughout the contest. They went just 3-for-23 in those scenarios, 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-6 with the bases loaded. They left 14 runners on base, 10 over the final four innings.
The Henderson State offense provided early support for Cross. In the first inning, Kaden Argenbright and Dillon Thomas opened the game with back-to-back doubles. Thomas eventually scored on a Cade Tucker ground out. Two innings later, Tucker drove in Dillon with a single; Bryson Haskins contributed a run-scoring single and a bases-loaded walk to Logan Cowart scored Tucker. Thomas finished 4-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored. Tucker drove in three.
The Reddies victory sets up the first GAC Baseball Championships title game between the tournament's top two seeds. It also features two of the Central Region's top four teams.
Game 11: No. 1 Southern Arkansas 9, 8 Arkansas Tech 4
The Muleriders defeated the Wonder Boys for the second time at the GAC Championships to reach the final for the sixth time in 10 seasons.
SAU (40-11) scored four times in the first and twice in the second to build an early 6-0 lead. Jakob Machuca hit a three-run home run to right center. Two batters later, Tucker Burton homered to right field. In three GAC Championships games, the Muleriders have scored eight first-inning runs.
In the second, Riley Orr collected the first of his three hits when he doubled home Conner Allen. Orr came home on a Brandon Nicoll single. Tech (27-23) answered back with three runs in the top of the third. Shelby Quiggins drove in two with an RBI double and scored on a Carter Thessing sacrifice fly.
Brett McGee hit his second home run of the GAC Championships in the fourth inning. Orr scored on a sixth-inning wild pitcher and added an RBI on a sacrifice in the eighth.
Mulerider starter Parker Abrego allowed three runs and nine hits over 6.0 innings of work to improve to 3-0.
SAU will attempt to continue its undefeated mark in GAC Championship title games. They own a perfect 5-0 record, having won from 2012 to 2015 and again in 2018. All five titles came in years the GAC held the event at David Allen Ballpark in Enid, Oklahoma.
Game 10: No. 5 Ouachita 17, No. 3 Harding 3
The Tigers matched the GAC Championships single-game record for hits as they collected 23 in defeating Harding for the sixth time this season.
All nine Tigers (32-21) recorded at least one hit and scored at least one run. Dustin Bermudez, Cade Burris and GAC Freshman of the Year Wyatt Core hit home runs in the win. CW Schrader went 3-for-5 with a pair of two-run singles.
Bermudez went 3-for-5 with two RBI; Burris and Core each drove in three runs.
In only his third start of the season, Tiger starter Garret Hermes scattered nine hits and recorded his first complete game.
David Butterfield collected a pair of hits for the Bisons (32-19) and scored two runs.
Game 9: No. 8 Arkansas Tech 11, No. 6 Oklahoma Baptist 6
The Wonder Boys won their second elimination game in as many days as they scored nine runs in the opening two innings and limited the Bison to just one over their final at bats to advance to the semifinals.
In the top of the first, Tech (27-22) began the game with five of its first six batters reaching base. Sam Stephenson scored on a wild pitch; Shelby Quiggins singled in two runs and Evan Hafley deposited a three-run home run to left.
Undeterred, the Bison (27-22) responded with five runs of their own as six straight reached with two outs.
A Kade Self single scored Dan Pruitt. Ramon Gomez followed with his own RBI single. Following a walk to Trey Furrey, the third run came home on a hit by pitch. Oklahoma Baptist evened the contest when Jose Parga singled in Gomez and Furrey.
The Tech bats continue to hit in the second as the Wonder Boys tacked on four more runs. Stephenson and Trace Maddux collected run-scoring singles. Josh Detweiler add an RBI double and later scored on a Quiggins sacrifice fly.
GAC Player of the Year Dan Pruitt hit his second home run of the GAC Championships in the second inning. He finished with 24 home runs, the second-most in a season in GAC history, two shy of the mark established by Arkansas-Monticello's Corey Wood in 2016.
Wonder Boy starter Armando Romero bounced back from the rocky start to provide the Wonder Boys with a 7.0-inning start. He gave up just six hits over his final 5.0 innings to improve to 5-0.