FLORENCE
-- North Alabama outhit Henderson State 10-9
Sunday but the Reddies scored five unearned
runs off of eight Lion errors as HSU downed
UNA 8-5 at University Field.
The loss
prevented UNA from completing a three-game
sweep of the Reddies and drops the Lions to
15-8-1 overall. Henderson State improved to
9-15.
UNA held an
early lead as Josh Phillips got a leadoff
single and scored on a fielder's choice to
make it 1-0 in the first inning. Daniel
Johnson was hit by a pitch in the second
inning and scored on an RBI single by Ross
Parker to make it 2-0.
In the top of
the third, Henderson State had runners on
first and third with two outs but Matt
Horton couldn't handle a ground ball off the
bat of Josh Guy and the Reddies scored their
first unearned run.
The Reddies got
a similar run in the fourth when A.J. Reed
misplayed a ball at second with two runners
on and two out.
In the fifth,
Henderson State took its first lead when
Julian Laurean reached on an error, Josh Guy
walked and Luis Flores reached on a
fielder's choice to load the bases. After
one runner was forced out at the plate, UNA
made two more errors, allowing two runs to
score and giving the Reddies a 4-2 lead.
UNA
quickly answered, scoring three runs in the
bottom of the fifth. Andrew Knerr was hit by
pitch and Josh Phillips followed with a
single. Horton the doubled into
right-centerfield to drive in both runners.
Josh Graham later drove in Horton with a
sacrifice fly to give UNA a 5-4 advantage.
The lead
wouldn't last long, however, as UNA starter
Justin Walters hit the leadoff bater in the
sixth and Laurean doubled him in to tie the
game. Another double by Guy gave HSU a 6-5
lead and forced Walters (2-2) from the game.
Guy later scored off a wild pitch from
reliever Brandon Foster to make it 7-5.
HSU added an
insurance run in the seventh off two more
Lion errors and UNA left the bases loaded in
the bottom of the seventh.
Walters took
the loss, allowing seven runs, but just
three earned, over five 1/3 innings. He
struckout four. Foster pitched 3 1/3
innings, allowing one run on one hit with a
walk and three strikeouts. Pat Allison came
on to pick off a runner for the final out.
Matt Gibson
(2-0), the first of five HSU pitchers in the
game, got the win in five innings of work.
He allowed five runs on five hits.
Printable Game
Statistics - Game 24 - Henderson State
