ST CLOUD, MN – Forced to play two games on Friday after Thursday’s games at the NCAA Central Regional were cancelled, Henderson State stunned top ranked St. Cloud State with a 10-4 win in the morning before eliminating Emporia State in the afternoon.
The No. 6 seeded Reddies put together 11 hits and again got a great pitching performance from starter Chris Hunt and reliever Nick Vanthillo. Like in the its opening game, Henderson State struck in the first-inning as the Reddies scored three runs on four hits.
Hunter Mayall led off the game with a single to centerfield with Claude Johnson then reaching on a base on balls. Jordan Taylor drove in the first run with a single to right field to score Mayall. Lance Fields would then load the bases when he singled to left field with no outs to chase ESU starter Jarrod Miller. Garrett Brummett entered the game and retired the next two Reddie hitters before Conner Brackhahn delivered a two-run single to left field to make the score 3-0.
Henderson State, 29-19 on the year, tacked on a run in the fourth-inning as Johnson grounded into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded that scored Brackhahn who singled to lead off the inning. Hunt held the Hornets in check through five innings allowing just two hits.
Emporia State finally put together a threat in the sixth frame as Dean Long singled, followed by a double by Evan Koehler.
After loading the bases, Hunt got Jordan Hodges to ground out into a double play which allowed Long to score. Wade Hanna then flew out to right field to end the inning.
In the seventh, ESU’s Johnny Hodges reached on a one-out walk, but Brackhahn got the Reddies back in the dugout when he caught a Justin Harris line drive in right field and doubled up Hodges at first.
Emporia State, 39-16 on the year, got things going again in the eighth-inning as Dalton Wheat tripled off of Reddie reliever Luke Tebbetts to lead off the inning.
Long would single home Wheat to force a Reddie pitching change. After walking the first batter he face, Vanthillo would strikeout Tory Bell and get Hodges to ground into a double-play to end the inning.
Named First-Team ABCA All-Central Region earlier in the day, Vanthillo showed why as he retired the Hornets in order in the ninth including striking out the final two batters of the game to pick up his 12th save of the year. Hunt would improve to 6-3 on the season. The sophomore from Greenwood, Ark. allowed just one run on four hits while striking out four batters. Mayall was 3-for-4 against the Hornets and finished the day going 6-for-8 at the plate.
Taylor, Fields and Brackhahn had two hits each for the Reddies.
Henderson State will play the winner of Minnesota State/Southern Arkansas game on Saturday at 10 a.m. The winner will advance to Sunday’s championship game.
