CONWAY - After splitting Friday's doubleheader with Concordia Texas, Hendrix mounted a thrilling comeback victory in Game 3 capped off by a walk-off base hit by
Zane Nolan to take the series.
Game 1 (L, 3-2)
The series opener proved to be a pitcher's duel, with the Tornadoes eking out a 3-2 win to take a 1-0 series advantage.
Dylan Kalmus delivered a quality start for the home side, spinning 5.0 innings of one-run ball while striking out six hitters. The one run Kalmus surrendered came off of a bases-loaded walk in the visitor second, but the junior worked around three-consecutive two-out singles to retire the side with just one run allowed. The Warriors left five on the bases through the first two innings, but found the breakthrough in the third inning as
Shaun Pope singled in
Ryan Lang to tie the game at 1-1.
Kalmus put the Tornadoes down in order in the fourth to turn it back over to the Hendrix bats, who delivered the go-ahead run with an
Austin Rabago single to score
Chase Harris, who had reached two at-bats prior on a one-out bunt single.
Concordia Texas retook the lead in the visitor sixth before
Chance Reed entered in relief with two in scoring position and retired the side with a strikeout and a ground-out.
Hendrix loaded the bases in the sixth looking to score the tying run before an inning-ending double play, and only managed a couple more base-runners down the final stretch, but were unable to drive in the tying run.
Game 2 (W, 10-8)
Zane Nolan (3-for-3) and
Shaun Pope (2-for-2) had perfect days at the plate and drove in five runs combined as Hendrix evened the series up at one game apiece.
Concordia plated three runs in the first inning, but Hendrix got out of a bases-loaded jam with a botched suicide squeeze attempt before
Mason Holmes eventually retired the side with a backwards K.
Pope doubled in Nolan in the Hendrix first, and
Nick Echaniz brought in Pope with an RBI single to make it a one-run game. Holmes put the side down in order in the second inning to bring Hendrix back to the plate, where they exploded for five runs in the home second.
Charlie Deaton sent an RBI double down the left field line to score
Reed Ketcham before Nolan smoked a triple to right center to score Deaton and
Chase Harris. Nolan then scored on a wild pitch, and
Ryne Dodson brought in the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to score Pope to make it 7-3.
The Tornadoes made it a one-score game in the visitor third with three RBI singles, but Hendrix added two more runs to in the Warrior third courtesy of RBIs from Rabago and Pope. Pope singled in Nolan in the bottom of the fifth to make it 10-6, and the Hendrix bullpen was able to take over from there, limiting Concordia Texas to just two runs over the final six innings.
JD Nichols (W, 1-1) earned the win with a scoreless inning in which he struck out three batters, while
Hugh Hill ate up valuable innings with two scoreless frames and two punch outs.
Braxton Waller (S, 7) earned his seventh save of the season, striking out three to retire the side in the visitor ninth to secure the Game 2 victory.
Game 3 (W, 6-5)
Concordia kicked off Saturday's rubber match with a three-spot in the second inning and a solo shot in the third inning to take an early 4-0 lead. Hendrix was held scoreless until the home fourth when
Chase Harris homered to left field to score himself and
Reed Ketcham, who had worked a lead-off walk before reaching second on a stolen base. The Warrior bullpen held Concordia scoreless until the visitor eighth when the Tornadoes got another on a sacrifice fly before
Kyle Taylor retired the side with back-to-back strikeouts.
Ketcham worked another lead-off walk in the eighth and eventually reached third on a balk and another stolen base. Hendrix then loaded the bases with two outs on a
Zane Nolan full-count hit-by-ptich and a Rabago four-pitch walk, and Pope laced a single into right field to score Ketcham and Nolan and make it a one-run ballgame. The Warriors would leave them loaded heading into the ninth, where Tyaylor worked around a two-out single to toss a second scoreless frame and set up the walk-off opportunity.
Ketcham singled with one out to put the tying run aboard, and Dodson's single put the tying run 90 feet away. Nolan stepped into the box with two gone and the winning run in scoring position and worked a 2-2 count after fouling off the first two offerings he saw. On the 2-2, Nolan dumped a single into left field beyond the reach of the Tornado shortstop to score the game-tying and winning runs. The walk-off capped a solid showing for Nolan, who went 1-for-3 with two walks and a run scored. Pope and Dodson each recorded a multi-hit game, while Harris, Pope, and Nolan all collected two RBIs.
Taylor (W, 1-1) earned the win-in-relief, firing 3.0 innings of two-hit ball to go along with three strikeouts.
Evan Williams also delivered a solid outing out of the bullpen, punching out four hitters in 3.0 scoreless innings.
