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Southern Arkansas LADY MULERIDERS (9-9, 4-4 GAC) |
vs. Henderson State LADY REDDIES (9-10, 5-3 GAC)
Friday, March 7 @ 1 p.m. | DH
Saturday, March 8 @ 1 | DH
Magnolia, Ark. (Lady Mulerider Field)
Live Stats | Live Video |
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GAME NOTES (PDF)
Leading Off
The Southern Arkansas softball team is set to play at home for the first time this season as they make their home-debut against GAC-rivals Henderson State. The Lady Muleriders are most recently coming off of a 3-1 series win against Ouachita Baptist. The three wins came in succession to close out the four-game set after the Lady Muleriders fell in the opener on a heart-breaking walk-off grandslam.
This highly-anticpated series should get a shot of life to it as junior ace
Hanna Gill is slated to return to the circle after missing
the last three weeks due to injury. Gill returns to a pitching roatation that has gotten tremendous contributions from freshmen
hurlers Mirand Cuff and
Shelby Miller. Miller and Cuff both lead the team in wins with three. The two have also combined
for four saves with Miller having three.
Offensively, the Muleriders are led by a trio of freshmen that include Miller. Along with Miller are
Maddie Dow and
Brooke Goad. The three combine to hit over .360 with 14 homeruns and 44 RBIs.
The Lady Reddies are hitting .324 as a team with Ashlyn White leading the way with a .512 average. She also leads the team in HRs (3) and RBI (17). In the circle, HSU is led by senior Kayla Williams. On the year, Williams is 4-4 with a 4.09 ERA.
Dow Powers to GAC POW
Freshman designated player
Maddie Dow powered her way being named co-Great American Conference Player of the Week as she turned in an opening weekend to remember. In her first collegiate game, a 3-1 win over Shorter University, Dow hit her first career homerun as she belted a go-ahead two-run homerun in the fifth inning. On Monday, Dow closed out the weekend in style as she set GAC and SAU records for at-bats in a game (7) and RBIs in a game (7) in SAU's wild 22-17 win over Midwestern State. All told for the week, Dow hit .292 (7-for-24) with two doubles, two homeruns, and nine RBIs.
Power Surge
Through 18 games of the season, the Lady Muleriders have showed their lineup has some potent power potential as they have clubbed out 47 extra-base hits. 19 of those left the yard while 26 went for doubles and two have gone for triples.
Youth Movement
So far this season, head coach Corey Lyon has penned a familiar lineup each game and it is one that features a lot of young and talented players. Through 18 games, three true freshmen have started every game.
Gill returns as SAU's Ace
Having pitched just two season at SAU, junior starting pitcher
Hanna Gill has already set nine school records and is on the cusp of adding several other records to her name in 2014. Last year, Gill anchored the Lady Mulerider pitching rotation and her outstanding year in the circle landed her All- GAC First-Team honors.
