TEXARKANA — Henderson State was held to just 263 yards of total offense and Missouri Western used a dominant second half to defeat the Reddies 35-14 on Saturday in the 2019 Live United Bowl.

The loss ends the season for the Reddies, who finish 9-3 overall — a four-win improvement from the previous year and the program’s fifth season with nine or more victories since 2012.

After a sloppy start by both teams, Missouri Western took a 7-0 lead at the tail end of the opening quarter thanks to a 59-yard punt return from Trey Vaval which set the Griffons up at the HSU 6-yard line.

The Reddies got on the board in the second quarter when Adam Morse found L’liott Curryfrom nine yards out to tie the game at 7-7, but the Griffons answered just before the half and used an 11-play, 68-yard scoring drive to take a 14-7 advantage into the break. MWSU came up empty inside the Reddies’ 25-yard line twice in the first 30 minutes.

Missouri Western set the tone early in the third quarter, when it marched 63 yards in nine plays on the opening drive of the half to increase its lead to 21-7 at the 10:14 mark. It was the first time all season Henderson had trailed by two scores.

Four plays and a punt from HSU, followed by another 41-yard punt return from Vaval, got the Griffons going again on their next possession. The short field resulted in a five-play, 45 yard touchdown drive which extended the deficit for Henderson to 28-7.

The Reddies got one touchdown back on their ensuing six-play, 67-yard drive, which was capped by a 7-yard scoring run from Darius Austin to make it 28-14, but MWSU’s offense continued to roll and punched in another touchdown with 11:27 remaining to end any hopes of a stunning comeback. Missouri Western scored touchdowns on their first three drives of the second half, which ate up more than 15 combined minutes off the clock.

Morse, in his first extended action of the year, led HSU with 122 passing yards and a touchdown. Curry ended his terrific season with four catches for 65 yards and a score, while Doug Johnson had a team-high 91 receiving yards on three catches.

The Griffon defense made life difficult for Henderson all day on Saturday. The Reddies competed just 10-of-37 passes and were held to 73 rushing yards on 24 carries. MWSU also controlled the time of possession battle, holding the ball for nearly 40 minutes in its win.

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ARKADELPHIA — Henderson State racked up 13 hits and used a big seventh inning to break the game open and run away from Missouri Western 13-6 at Clyde Berry Field on Friday afternoon.

The Reddies (3-1) led 6-5 entering the bottom of the seventh but used five runs in the inning to blow the game open. A double from Joseph Shepherd that plated Josh Aguilar got the scoring going in the inning and a throwing error from the Griffon second baseman scored Joe Myers behind him to make it 8-5, Henderson.

HSU got its next three runs in quick succession. Ryan Wieligman singled in the ensuing at-bat to score Shepherd, and after Bryson Haskins drew a walk to put runners on first and second, Danny Mitchell Jr.came through with an RBI double to left center which brought Wieligman home to extend the lead out to 10-6. A wild pitch brought in Mitchell Jr. to score the final run of a big frame for the Reddies and give them an 11-6 cushion.

Missouri Western got a run back in the eighth, but the Reddies tacked on two more in the bottom half to open up their biggest lead of the game and roll to their third-straight win.

Wieligman was 3-for-4 on the day at the plate for HSU, while both Mitchell Jr. and Shepherd finished with two hits and three RBIs. Myers had two hits, scored three runs, and drew a walk.

Starter Zach Eschberger got his first win of the season by going 5.2 innings and allowing three hits with six walks and four strikeouts.

The Griffons got on the board first with two runs in the opening frame, but Henderson tied it up on an RBI single from Haskins in the bottom half and a bases-loaded walk from Mitchell Jr. in the second.

MWSU scored two more in the third inning to take a 4-2 lead, but the Reddies answered with four runs in the fourth, where they were aided by two Griffon errors, to go in front 6-4. Western brought it within a run by plating one in the top of the seventh before the big inning from HSU in the bottom half.

Henderson returns to action tomorrow at 6 p.m. when it faces Delta State at Clyde Berry Field.

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