Box Score

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The No. 4-ranked Southern Arkansas baseball team took to the road on Tuesday afternoon and came away with a 7-5 non-conference win over Ouachita Baptist at Rab Rodgers Field in Arkadelphia.
 
The Muleriders (22-6), who trailed 2-1 through the first two innings of play, knotted the score at two-all in the third on a single down the left field line off the bat of Justin Buchanan. Two innings later, the Muleriders grabbed their first lead of the game, 4-2, as they plated a pair of runs in the fifth. In that fifth inning, Trevor Rucker picked up the first of his two RBIs in the game as he singled to left-centerfield. A batter later, Rod Lewis would drive in the second run for the Muleriders as he reached on a fielding error by OBU's third baseman.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, however, the Tigers (13-13) would get a run back on single to left field, making a 4-3 game. After holding SAU scoreless in the top of the sixth, the Tigers would knot the game up at four-all on a two-out error by the Muleriders' second baseman. That game-tying unearned run would spell the end of the afternoon for SAU starter Yumezo Densaki. Colton Strother would come on in relief of Densaki and kept the game tied at four-all as he got a swinging strikeout to end the inning.
 
In the top of the seventh, the Muleriders pushed back on top, 5-4 as Rucker singled up the middle, scoring pinch-runner Zack Costa. Strother (2-0) would return to the mound for the Muleriders in the bottom of that frame and quickly got two outs before the Tigers tied the game once more on a solo homerun out to left field. The Tigers were not able to get anything else that inning as Strother got a flyout to centerfield to end the inning.
 
A leadoff walk to William Townsend in the top of the eighth led to a sacrifice bunt in the ensuing at-bat by Tyler Cameron. The Muleriders then got two runners on as Chase Harvey was a hit-by-pitch. In the next at-bat, Carver Rademacher drove in the go-ahead run as the Tigers' third baseman could not handle the batted ball.
 
With another lead, the Muleriders turned to the bullpen once more as Blake Sullivan entered the game at the start of the bottom of the eighth. Sullivan would make quick work of the Tigers in that frame as he needed just 10 pitches to retire the side in order.
 
The Muleriders would score a run of insurance in the top of the ninth to make it a 7-5 game as Josh Rodriguez singled up the middle, scoring Rucker, who walked to lead off the inning. That two-run Mulerider lead would stand as Sullivan went on to secure his second save of the season. Sullivan would nail down the save after he induced a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.
 
The Muleriders will now return home for a pivotal GAC series against No. 13 Arkansas Tech. The three-game set is scheduled to start on Friday, March 21 at 6 p.m. at Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.