ARKADELPHIA — In a rivalry that often carries late drama, Ouachita delivered a thunderous statement and outlasted cross-street visitor Henderson State 11-10 in a wild Battle of the Ravine series opener at Langston Field. The Tigers have won five games in a row, outscoring opponents 48-19 over the past week. 

The Reddies landed the first punch as senior Josie Golden split the gap in left-center with a two-run single to grab an early edge. Ouachita trimmed the deficit in half as freshman Alaina Lyle lifted a sacrifice fly deep enough to score redshirt-senior Remington Adams from third base. 

Henderson State stretched its lead with two more runs in the second inning, highlighted by a towering solo shot from junior Macy Hoskins. The Tigers refused to let the game drift away, matching each time the Reddies plated runs with an immediate answer in the bottom half. 

The Tigers showcased true resilience in the third inning and sent all nine hitters to the plate to flip the script with a five-spot. Junior Olivia See drew a bases-loaded walk to spark the rally, then a wild pitch allowed junior Jordyn Merrett to score and cut the deficit back to one. Adams followed with a sacrifice fly to even the score at 4-4. Freshman Morgan Uher punched an RBI single through the right side to give the Tigers their first lead, then Lyle capped the inning with a line-drive RBI double past a diving outfielder. 

The pendulum continued to swing as the battle took another sharp turn in the fifth. Henderson State capitalized on a pair of Ouachita errors to erupt for six unearned runs. Freshman Tatum Bittick scored on an errant throw before Hoskins delivered a grand slam to left field for her second home run of the game, which pushed the Reddies back in front 10-6.

Ouachita once again found an answer as six consecutive batters reached base safely to start the bottom half. With the bases juiced and the tying run at the plate, Merrett mauled a no-doubt grand slam well beyond the left-field wall to level the score at 10-10 and ignited a frenzy in the dugout as she rounded the bases.

The Tigers seized the momentum as freshman Reagan McCoy reached on another fielding error, then later came around to score on a fielder's choice off the bat of Uher, giving Ouachita an 11-10 lead it would not relinquish.

In the circle, senior Hannah Hunter (4-7) earned the win in relief after finishing out the fifth inning. Freshman Ryleigh Stinson was lights out on her birthday, working a six-out save without allowing a hit. Facing pressure with two runners on in the sixth, Ouachita's middle infield turned a slick 6-4-3 double play to escape the inning unscathed. Stinson sealed the victory with a game-ending strikeout to secure the BOTR series opener. 

Ouachita will look to claim the series on Saturday, hosting Henderson State in a doubleheader for Alumni Weekend. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Langston Field.