Box Score

DURANT, Okla. – Southern Arkansas' senior right-hander Jon Mark Abbey threw his first shutout of the season on Saturday as he out-dueled Southeastern Oklahoma's stating pitcher Vance Woodruff to help propel the No. 16-ranked Muleriders to their seventh-straight series win.
 
Both Abbey and Woodruff were sensational in the series finale as the two starters worked through eight complete innings without surrendering a run. In that same time, the two also combined to allow just nine hits with Abbey being responsible for six of those hits.
 
Offensively, both teams did have their opportunities to score over the first eight innings but each time there was a threat to score on either side, the opposing starting pitcher thwarted the attempt and worked out of the inning unscathed.
 
That all changed, however, in the top of the ninth inning when the Muleriders (25-11, 16-5 GAC) put themselves in their one of their best positions to score since they loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the second inning.
 
In the top of the ninth, catcher Ryan Dardenne went the other way and hit a double down the right field line to lead off the inning. After a groundout back to the pitcher left no ability to advance for Dardenne, he was forced to remain at second base with one out. In the ensuing at-bat, Telvin Darden laced the first pitch he saw for a double down the left field line to score Dardenne for the game's first run.
 
Moments later, the Muleriders would then gain a 2-0 lead as Darden scored on a throwing error by the Savage Storm's catcher as he was on his way to third base on a passed ball.
 
Now with a lead, Abbey made his way back out to the mound for the bottom of the ninth inning in search of the shutout. Abbey, who improves to 4-3 on the year, provided little drama in the frame as he retired the side in order.
 
The Muleriders will now begin a four-game home-stand this upcoming week as they will play host to LSU-Shreveport in non-conference action on Tuesday evening and then welcome in East Central for a weekend conference series starting on Friday, April 5th at 6:00 p.m.