Box Score

WICHITA FALLS, Texas – After falling behind 3-0 to Northeastern State through one inning of play, the Southern Arkansas softball team rallied to tie the game up in the top of the fourth inning, but the Lady Muleriders ultimately fell by a final score of 5-4 in their second game of the Midwestern State Invitational on Friday.
 
All three of those runs that the Riverhawks (2-2) would plate in the first inning came against SAU starter Taylor Clifton as she lasted just 2/3 of an inning before giving way to Miranda Cuff.
 
That early 3-0 lead that the Riverhawks staked themselves to would stand until the fourth inning when the Lady Muleriders (4-4) scored three runs of their own to knot the game at three-all. In that inning, the Lady Muleriders looked to be in a good spot for a potential big inning as they got consecutive one-out hits from Chelsea Ivy and Taylor Guin. A fielder's choice hit into by Mackenzie Spanko in the next at-bat, however, momentarily dimmed the Lady Muleriders' chance to score runs as it left runners on the corners with two outs.
 
During the at-bat following her fielder's choice, Spanko put the pressure on the Riverhawks as she swiped second base to put two runners in scoring position. Later in that at-bat, Spanko's steal of second proved big as she, along with Ivy, scored when Courtney Hudgins reached first base on a throwing error by the Riverhawks' shortstop.
 
Just as Spanko forced the issue, Hudgins would steal second base to put another runner in scoring position for the Lady Muleriders and the aggressive motive on the base paths paid off as Brooke Goad singled up the middle to score Hudgins and tie the game.
 
The tie score would not last long, however, as the Riverhawks answered back in the bottom of the fourth inning with a pair of runs to take a 5-3 lead. Neither team would score over the next two innings, leaving the Lady Muleriders one more opportunity to keep the game alive in the top of the seventh.
 
That final push looked to be off to a resounding start as Maddie Dow blasted a single over the right fielder's head. Dow, however, would be cut down on her way trying to stretch it into a double as the force in which she ripped the single worked to her disadvantage as the ball caromed off the right field wall quickly enough for the Riverhawks right fielder to have a chance to throw her out.
 
Following the Dow at-bat, Shelby Miller followed suit and laced a single up the middle. Two batters later, and down to their final out, SAU's Audrey Farfan brought the Lady Muleriders to within a run, 5-4, as she drove in Miller on a triple into right field.  Farfan, representing the tying run, would be stranded at third base as the Riverhawks' starting pitcher Kayce Wooldridge picked up a strike out to end the game.
 
The Lady Muleriders will be back in action on Saturday as they are set to play games against Rogers State and host-school Midwestern State to conclude their play at the Midwestern State Invitational. The first of those games is an 11 a.m. first-pitch against Rogers State. The Lady Muleriders will then follow that up with a game against Midwestern State.