Box Score
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – After a doubleheader sweep a day ago, in which the Southern Arkansas baseball team scored 25 runs on 25 hits, the No.15-ranked Muleriders were equally as efficient on Sunday as they scored 14 runs on 14 hits to complete the three-game sweep over East Central.
The series sweep is the Muleriders' (28-12, 19-5 GAC) third of the year and their first since the end of February when they swept Northwestern Oklahoma at home.
The day's offense got started early as the Muleriders scored three runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning. The initial run of the frame came on a RBI double off of the bat of
David Harris. In the ensuing at-bat,
Brady Capshaw scored Harris as he belted a two-run bomb out to straight-away centerfield.
An inning later, the Muleriders scored two more runs to take a 5-0 lead.
After being held scoreless in the third inning, the Muleriders sent 11 batters to the plate in the fourth as they scored six runs on six hits. Harris led off that inning with a solo homerun to left-centerfield. Nine batters and four runs later, Harris batted once more, and this time he doubled down the right field line to score
Ryan Bell.
Ahead 11-0 through four innings, the Muleriders were now in line for the 10-run rule after seven innings if they could maintain at least a 10-run lead. That feat was made much easier as starter
Jon Mark Abbey turned in another sensational outing following his shutout a week ago. In Sunday's start, Abbey (5-3) did not allow a hit until the fourth inning as he would go on to pitch six scoreless innings while scattering four hits and striking out six.
After Abbey worked around a hit in his final inning on the mound in the sixth, the Muleriders came out in the bottom of the frame and put up three more runs to take a 14-0 lead. Right in the middle of that inning was Harris as he drove in two more runs after hitting his third double of the game.
Justin Thomas came on in the seventh inning and worked around a leadoff hit to secure the shutout and the sweep for the Muleriders.
The Muleriders will now get ready for mid-week game against top-ranked Delta State. That game, which is going to be played at Delta, is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10th.
