Box Score HOUSTON—The No. 17/24 Arkansas Tech baseball team had its work cut out for it against a game Henderson State squad Friday morning in its second game of the Houston Winter Invitational at Minute Maid Park, and couldn't solve the Reddies pitching staff in an 8-3 loss.

Bryan Heward was 1-for-1 with three RBIs, a home run and two walks, while Kris Ayers and Cole Fergus each collected a hit and scored a run for the Wonder Boys (2-4), who were no-hit by Henderson starter Chris Hunt through the first six innings before breaking up the no-hitter and the shutout in the seventh.

Tech hit a number of balls hard, and had chances with three walks and two more batter reaching on errors in the first six frames. Hunt was replaced to start the seventh inning, and with lefty Ayers facing the shift to the right side of the infield, he poked the first pitch he saw a few feet inside the bag at third to record the first hit against the Reddies (2-0).

Two pitches later, Fergus blasted a double to the wall in left center to put two in scoring position with no outs. Heward lifted a sacrifice fly to left to plate Ayers for the Wonder Boys' first run, and Fergus was thrown out on a close play trying to score after the ball was thrown away.

Henderson put up five runs in the bottom of the third, using a single, double and three-run home run to gain the early cushion. They expanded the lead with one run in each of the next three innings to take an 8-0 lead before the Wonder Boys got on the board.

Tech tried to mount a comeback in its last try, as Heward launched a ball to deep left center that barely missed hitting the wall for a home run. Instead, Heward made it his first home run of the season anyway, racing around the bases for a two-run inside-the-park shot.

Wonder Boys starter Trent Armstrong went 2 2/3 innings, allowing five hits, five runs and two walks while striking out four. Geofferey Birkemeier gave up six hits and two earned runs in three innings of relief, and Tyler Huffstickler, Josh Ryan and Randy Vallejo combined to shut out the Reddies over the final 2 1/3.

ATU's trip to Houston continues at 2 p.m. Saturday against No. 22 Central Missouri.