Box Score
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – After scoring 22 runs in Saturday's doubleheader sweep over Northwestern Oklahoma, the No. 14 Southern Arkansas baseball team nearly topped that mark in Sunday's series finale as the Muleriders piled up 16 runs on 15 hits en route to a 16-5 win in Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
The win gives the Muleriders (12-3, 6-0 GAC) their second three-game conference sweep in as many weeks and the 6-0 start to the GAC slate is the best start in conference play for the Muleriders since the 2010 season in which they won their first 17 games in the Gulf South Conference.
On Sunday, the Muleriders fell behind early in the game as the Rangers' (7-7, 0-6 GAC) Nathaneal Hancock singled up the middle on the game's first pitch, and later came around to score to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead through the first inning. The Rangers lead would be short-lived, however, as the Muleriders scored three runs in the top of the second inning to grab a 3-1 lead.
After neither team scored in the third inning, the Muleriders came out and in the top of the fourth inning and extended their lead out to 7-1 as they scored four runs in the frame. The Rangers would respond, however, in the bottom of the frame as they matched the Muleriders' scoring output and scored four runs of their own to cut the lead down to 7-5.
All four of the runs that the Rangers scored in the fourth inning were charged against starting pitcher Timothy Buchannan. Buchannan would not be able to work out of the inning as he was pulled in favor of reliever
Cory Roper with two outs in the fourth. The first batter Roper would face would walk to put the tying run on base, but Roper would get the next batter to hit into a fielder's choice to end the fourth inning.
Now having their lead shrunk to two runs, the Muleriders' offense would respond in the following half inning as they powered their way to a five-run inning to rebuild a comfortable lead. In that inning, the Muleriders showed their power potential as all five runs came via the homerun. The first three runs came on a three-run shot to left field off the bat of
David Harris, who had a game-high six RBIs. The other two runs came on a two-run bomb by
Jackson McCurdy to left-centerfield two batters after Harris left the park.
From there, the Muleriders would add two runs in the sixth and seventh innings as they built an 11-run lead.
Blake Sullivan would then come on in relief of Roper in the seventh inning and a perfect frame from Sullivan gave the Muleriders the win as the game was called after seven innings due to the fact that the Muleriders led by more than 10 runs.
The Muleriders will next be in action on Tuesday, February 26th as they will play host to Union University in a doubleheader at home. First-pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
