JACKSON, Tenn.- The Union University baseball team split a double header Tuesday afternoon against Henderson State University for their first home win of 2015. Union moved to 4-19 on the season and the Reddies moved to 13-5.
 
Game 1 (HSU 4-1)
The Reddies jumped out to the lead in the top of the first when AJ Kruzel scored on an error off of the bat of Jordan Taylor for the early lead.
 
Union got things going in the bottom half of the inning with a double from freshman Austin Orr. Orr advanced to third on a single from Jim Martin then scored on a single to left center courtesy of Chaz Wilson.
 
The Reddies would strike back in the third inning with an RBI single from Hayden Lessenberry that scored Claude Johnson from second base. Henderson State would hold that lead for the remainder of the game and add two more runs to set the final at 4-1.
 
Martin finished the game 2-for-3 while Orr ended up 1-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Preston Thompson started on the mound for the Bulldogs going a complete game 7.0 innings giving up only two earned runs and striking out five to earn the loss.
 
Lessenberry led Henderson State at the plate going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Kruzel finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
 
Game 2 (UU 2-1/10 innings)
In the second game of the afternoon, Union wasted no time getting on the board. Martin singled to center and advanced on a walk from Chaz Wilson that brought Brady Cook to the plate. Cook hit a hard ground ball towards second base that snuck through and allowed Martin to score from second.
 
Hunter Smith, the starting pitcher for Union had a no-hitter through 4.1 innings until Tadarius Hawakins ripped a line drive over the shortstop for the first hit of the game. Hawkins then scored later in the inning off of a wild pitch that evened the score at 1-1.
 
Neither team could push another run across which forced extra innings. Union had multiple chances for to seal the win but found themselves still tied in the tenth.
 
Brady Cook led off the tenth with a bunt single and advanced to second on the next at bat when Trae Bain laid down a bunt that was thrown away to put the winning run only 90 feet away with no outs. Ryan Black, the pitcher for the Reddies, lost control of the next pitch to Smith that allowed Cook to come home for the walk off win and the Bulldogs first win at home of the season.
 
Smith finished the game with 6.2 innings pitched giving up one unearned run on two hits with four strikeouts. Trae Bain earned the win in relief going 3.1 innings with no runs given up and three strikeouts.
 
At the plate, the freshmen carried the Bulldogs with Cook going 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI while Orr finished 2-for-5.
 
Union continues their homestand on Saturday with a conference series against North Alabama. Start time is set for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. with the final game of the series on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
 
#UNION#