Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas baseball team flexed their offensive muscle on Saturday afternoon as they scored 22 runs on 24 hits en route to a doubleheader sweep of Northwestern Oklahoma in Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
 
The offensive dominance that showed by the Muleriders (11-3, 5-0 GAC) in both games of the doubleheader started in earnest in the top of the fifth inning of the opening game. Prior to that inning, however, the Muleriders trailed the Rangers (7-6, 0-5 GAC) by a score of 2-0, and tallied just one hit over the first four frames. That all changed in the fifth inning as the Muleriders would score three runs on two hits to take a 3-2 lead.
 
Two innings after the Rangers tied the game back up at 3-all in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Muleriders put together a six-run eighth inning to jump out to a 9-3 advantage.
 
The late six-run lead would be all that starting pitcher James Baune would need as he closed out the final two innings without giving up a run to give the Muleriders the 9-3 win. Baune, who had one complete-game to his credit already, added another on Saturday as he went the distance while striking out a season-high 10 batters.  
 
In the second game, the Muleriders used their designation as the visiting team for the entirety of the series to their advantage as they scored 11 runs on seven hits to take an 11-0 lead in the first inning before the Rangers were even able to take one swing offensively. Two more runs would score in the second inning as the Muleriders grabbed a commanding 13-0 lead through their first two at-bats.
 
The Rangers would break up the shutout bid by game two starter Jon Mark Abbey in the third inning as they scored an unearned run with two outs in the inning. Abbey would then strikeout five batters while scattering two hits over the next three innings as he held the Rangers off the scoreboard. In the seventh and final inning, however, the Rangers would push across three runs off Abbey to cut the lead down to 13-4. After giving up the final run, Abbey would end the game as he registered his ninth strikeout.
 
Offensively, Ryan Bell, Ryan Dardenne, and Chris Quinn were all 4-for-8 on the day as a whole. Dardenne and Quinn also scored and drove in three runs as well. All told, every batter in the Mulerider lineup recorded at least one RBI on the day.
 
The Muleriders will now go for the sweep of Northwestern Oklahoma as they are set to play the third and final game of the series on Sunday, February 24th. First-pitch is scheduled for noon.