MEMPHIS—Visiting Henderson State started strong and finished strong as they swept a Gulf South Conference West Division doubleheader from the Christian Brothers University Bucs Saturday afternoon at Buc Field, winning the first game 16-3 before taking a 6-2 win in game two.

The Reddies (26-15, 8-8 GSC West) exploded early in the first game, scoring three runs in the first inning, four in the second, three in the third, and six in the fourth to take a 16-0 lead.

The Bucs (5-37, 1-15) put runners on second and third with doubles from Chance Ruggeroli (Las Vegas, Nev./Shadow Ridge HS) and Matt Stephany (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) in the fifth inning, and Brent Ariemma (Bartlett, Tenn./St. Benedict HS) hit a two-run single up the middle to snap a 29-inning shutout streak for Henderson State in GSC West play.  Aaron Short (Cleveland, Tenn./Cleveland HS) hit an RBI groundout in the seventh to set the final score, bringing home Matt Van Slyke (Oxford, Miss./Oxford HS), who had reached on an error.

HSU pitcher Jonathan Dooley (5-2) struck out 10 as he allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and three walks.  Five different Bucs collected one hit each in the game.

CBU reliever Joey Blankenship (Humboldt, Tenn./Humboldt HS) threw three scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit and one walk with one strikeout.

In the second game, both teams' starting pitchers turned in strong outings.  The Bucs found the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second as Yogi Vanaman (Cordova, Tenn./Cordova HS) doubled to right and scored on a Caleb Burrow (Bartlett, Tenn./Bartlett HS) single.

The Reddies tied it back up at one in the top of the third as Richie Wood walked, stole second and third, and scored on a Robert Gilbert single.

The tie held until the sixth, when HSU used five hits, an error, two walks, and a hit batter to push five runs across as they finally solved CBU starter Lee Paine (Oxford, Miss./Oxford HS), who finished allowing six runs on five hits and four walks in five and a third innings.  He finished the first five innings allowing one run on two hits, two walks, and two hit batters.

The Reddies scored one run in the bottom of the sixth as Short was hit by a pitch and came home on a Vanaman single.

Vanaman finished 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI in the second game for the Bucs.

The Bucs and Reddies meet again Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. for the final game of the series.