Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ADA, Okla. – After splitting yesterday's doubleheader against East Central, the Southern Arkansas softball team put themselves in position to win the series after they beat ECU in the opener 6-5, but a 5-3 loss in the nightcap on Saturday forced a split in the series between the two teams.
 
In the opener, the Lady Muleriders (18-16, 10-8 GAC) jumped out to a 5-0 lead after scoring all five runs in the top of the first inning. In that explosive inning, the Lady Muleriders got homeruns from Courtney Johnson, Kelci Garza, and Brittany Wood.
 
SAU starting pitcher Hanna Gill would make that early cushion hold up over the first five innings as she held the Lady Tigers (24-8, 10-4 GAC) off the scoreboard. In the sixth inning, however, the Lady Tigers would get on the board and cut into that deficit as Ali Manship hit a three-run homerun out to left field to make the game 5-3.
 
In the following inning, the Lady Tigers continued their rally as they scored twice to knot the game up at five-all and force extra innings. In the top of the eighth inning, the Lady Muleriders would capitalize on a couple of errors by the Lady Tigers as they pushed across an unearned run to take a 6-5 lead.
 
That one run in favor of the Lady Muleriders would prove to be the difference as Gill was able strand the tying run at third base in the bottom of the frame to secure the win.
 
In the nightcap, the roles were reversed on the outset as the Lady Tigers grabbed a 5-0 lead after scoring a run in the second and adding four more in the third inning.
 
The Lady Muleriders would score their first run of the game in the fourth inning as Laruen Witzke singled up the middle to score Sarah Higginbotham. Three innings later, the Lady Muleriders threatened the East Central lead by scoring a pair of runs and having the tying run in scoring position with two outs. The tying run would be stranded at second base, however, as a groundout to shortstop ended the game.
 
The Lady Muleriders will remain on the road in conference play this upcoming weekend as they will travel to Alva, Okla. to take on Northwestern Oklahoma. The four-game set is scheduled to begin on Friday, March 29th starting at 3:00 p.m.