MONTICELLO – Junior Tyler Henry delivered a walk-off solo homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the University of Arkansas at Monticello baseball team a 6-5 win over Henderson State after dropping game one to the Reddies 12-4.
 
The split moves UAM to 9-37-1 overall and 2-15 in the GSC, while HSU moves to 33-16 overall and 9-11 in the GSC. With the win in game two, UAM eliminated HSU from postseason contention, as the Reddies needed a three-game sweep to earn a berth into the GSC Championship Tournament.
 
The second game was scheduled to last seven innings, but the Weevils scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh frame to push the game into extras, highlighted by a pair of run-producing singles, starting with junior Brian Johnson, followed later by Henry.
 
From that point, both teams were held scoreless until Henry’s walk-off homerun in the ninth.
 
Henry finished the game 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and one run scored. Junior Blaine Ivey also picked up two RBI in the contest with one swing, a two-run homerun over the right field wall in the sixth, his 10th blast of the season.
 
Junior Rod Williams (1-0) earned the win in relief after tossing two and two thirds scoreless innings, allowing only one hit with three walks and one strikeout.
 
HSU’s Evan Early (5-2) was charged with the loss after tossing the final two innings, allowing one run off two hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
 
In the first game, the Reddies used a pair of four-run innings to gain a comfortable lead, scoring four in the top of the first and fifth innings. The Reddies had four players with two RBI and five players with at least two hits.
 
The Weevils tied the Reddies with 13 hits in the game, but failed to convert on several scoring opportunities, ultimately leaving 11 runners on base.
 
Junior Matt Whiting gave UAM its first run with an RBI single in the bottom of the second. Two innings later, freshman Tyler Williams decreased the deficit to 5-2 with an RBI single to right center field.
 
UAM’s third run came from an RBI single by Rod Williams in the sixth to make the score 9-3 in favor of HSU. Henry finalized the scoring for UAM with an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Sophomore James Stancek (0-5) took the loss after tossing the first four innings, allowing seven runs off six hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
 
HSU’s Chris Brown (10-1) earned the win after tossing eight innings, allowing three runs off 11 hits with only one walk and eight strikeouts.
 
Both squads are set to conclude their respective seasons with a 12 p.m. contest on Sunday at Weevils Field in Monticello.