MEMPHIS—Visiting Henderson State claimed a 4-1 win over the Christian Brothers University Bucs in the first game of Sunday's Gulf South Conference West Division doubleheader before game two saw the Bucs' first tie since 2000.

In the first game, each team scored in the opening frame, with the Reddies (12-11-1, 3-2-1 GSC West) stringing three hits together to start the game with a lead.  In the bottom of the inning, Brent Goode (Jackson, Tenn./North Side HS) reached on a two-base error, stole third, and scored on a Jimmy Franklin (Knoxville, Tenn./Powell HS) sacrifice fly.

The Bucs (14-11-1, 0-5-1) appeared to take the lead in the bottom of the second inning as Jake Williams (Southaven, Miss./Southaven HS) drew a walk and came around to score on an apparent triple by Will Wilson (Cordova, Tenn./First Assembly Christian School).  Williams was called out on appeal for missing third, however, leaving the game tied at one.

The Reddies took the lead for good in the top of the third as Zac Zdanowicz singled, stole second, and scored on a Jose Mendoza single.  They tacked on another run in the sixth and seventh innings to set the final margin at 4-1.

Wilson and Lans Hardin (Keystone Heights, Fla./Keystone Heights HS) each went 2-for-3 in the game.

In the second game, the Bucs took the early lead as Franklin tripled to right and scored on a Hardin single in the bottom of the first.  They plated three more an inning later, loading the bases on a walk and singles from Williams and Aaron Smith (Lewisburg, Miss./Lewisburg HS).  Goode followed with a two-run single, and a Franklin RBI single gave the Bucs a 4-0 lead.

The Reddies found the scoreboard for the first time in the third inning as Grant Dennis doubled and scored on a Zdanowicz single.  They would take the lead in the sixth inning, batting around on five hits, a walk, and a hit batter as they scored four times.

The Bucs regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs on five singles and a bases-loaded hit batter.  In the top of the seventh, however, HSU catcher Kendal Norman blasted a two-run homer to left to tie the game at 7.

The Bucs missed a golden opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the seventh after Williams singled and moved to second on an error.  A groundout pushed pinch-runner Alfredo Arroyo (San Antonio, Texas/James Madison HS) to third, but a pair of strikeouts ended the threat and sent the game to extra innings.

The Reddies took a lead in the ninth as Gip Hendrix tripled to right and scored on a sacrifice fly, but the Bucs answered in the bottom of the inning.  Alan Wright (Olive Branch, Miss./DeSoto Central HS) reached on a two-out two-base error, and pinch-runner Alex Sikes (Cordova, Tenn./Cordova HS) scored on a Smith double, but Smith was stranded on second as the game continued.

The Reddies appeared to score again in the 11th inning.  A hit batter started the inning, and a Lee Harris bunt single gave them two on with no outs.  Matt Ariemma (Bartlett, Tenn./St. Benedict HS) cut down the lead runner at third on an attempted sacrifice bunt for the first out, but a wild pitch put runners on second and third with one out.  Norman hit a fly ball to right field, but the Bucs threw to third base, where Harris was called out for leaving early, wiping the run off the board.

In the 12th inning, with daylight fading, the Reddies had runners on first and second with two out after a single and a walk, when a bright bolt of lightning flashed beyond the fence in right field.  The NCAA-mandated 30-minute wait after a lightning strike within 10 miles would have exhausted the remaining daylight, so the game was called an 8-8 tie.

The tie is the Bucs' first since they tied Illinois Wesleyan 11-11 on March 15, 2000.  They had not tied a conference game since tying Union 6-6 in a TCAC game March 16, 1996.

The Bucs return to the field Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m. as they host Blue Mountain.