MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The 2015 college baseball season kicked off for the Southern Arkansas Muleriders on Friday afternoon as they played a doubleheader at home against Lindenwood University. Lindenwood would take the first game, 6-2, but SAU bounced back in the nightcap with a 5-3 win to force the split.
 
In the opening game, Lindenwood (1-1) got out to a quick start as they pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the first inning off of SAU starter Landon Simpson. Two innings later, the Lions added three more runs to grab a 5-0 lead.
 
In the top of the fifth inning, with Simpson still on the mound, Lindenwood plated their sixth run as Ryan Light drove in Mike Ehrhard from first base on a two-out, full-count double to the left-centerfield gap. Simpson would get out of the inning without further damage in the next at-bat as he induced a ground ball out to Chase Harvey at second base.
 
That would be all for the junior transfer, Simpson, as he worked five innings in his debut with the Muleriders (1-1). Taking over in relief for Simpson was freshman left-hander Kenneth Tabor. Tabor, a native of Plano, Texas pitched well in his collegiate debut as he worked the final four innings of the game and gave up three hits, walked two and struck out two while also not surrendering a run.
 
Held out of the run column through the first six innings, the Muleriders plated their first run of the game in the bottom of the seventh on a groundout RBI off the bat of newcomer Byron Reichstein. Scoring on that play was senior Korey Keith, who had doubled to right field to lead off the frame.
 
An inning later, the Muleriders began to put pressure on the Lions as SAU loaded the bases with one out thanks to three hit-by-pitches delivered from the right arm of Brendan Kleekamp, who had come on in relief of Lindenwood starter, Will Spitzfaden.
 
Following the third hit-by-pitch, Lindenwood turned to their bullpen, but SAU's Billy Germaine worked a walk in the first at-bat following the change to chase home the Muleriders' second run. Lindenwood's new reliever Geoff Hartlieb would escape the bases loaded jam in the next at-bat, however, as he got Keith to ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
 
Neither team would score in the ninth inning as the game ended 6-2 in favor of the Lions.
 
In the second game, it was the Muleriders who would get off to the quick start as they scored three runs in the bottom of the first after holding the Lions scoreless in the top half. In that bottom frame, the Muleriders started out with consecutive singles by Trevor Rucker and Jon Phillips. A fielder's choice in Germaine's at-bat erased Phillips, but a hit-by-pitch to Keith in the next at-bat loaded the based with one out.
 
In that ensuing at-bat, Carver Rademacher would place an infield single to first base, driving in Rucker. With bases still loaded, Lindenwood starting pitcher Austin Klein picked up a strikeout of Reichstein for the second out of the inning. Following Reichstein's strikeout, freshman catcher Mason Mallard dug into the box for his first collegiate at-bat. Two pitches into that at-bat, Mallard would notch a pair of career firsts as he lined a single into shallow right-centerfield, scoring Keith and Germaine in the process.
 
Now with the Muleriders leading 3-0, Lindenwood would get one of the runs back in the top of the second inning as Kyle Kruger singled home Zac Perkins. In the bottom of the third inning, however, SAU added two more runs to take a 5-1 lead. Both Mulerider runs in that inning were driven in by Reichstein as he singled down the right field line.
 
Immediately after being staked to the four-run lead, game two starter Preston Gray worked around a leadoff double to toss a scoreless fourth. In the top of the fifth, however, Gray worked himself into trouble as the Lions loaded the bases with one out. After loading the bases on an infield single to third base, Gray induced a fielder's choice to cut down a potential run at the plate.
 
Now, with one out away from potentially working out of the inning, Gray's first pitch to Wade Rothermich was served into shallow left field, scoring a pair of runs and cutting the Muleriders' lead down to two, 5-3. Gray would get out of the inning one batter later, though, on a groundout to Rucker at shortstop.
 
That would be the final out Gray would record as the Muleriders turned to junior transfer Travis Johnson. In his first inning of work, Johnson would face the minimum as a two-out walk turned into a caught stealing of second base to end the inning.
 
In the seventh, Johnson returned to the mound in search of his first save as a Mulerider. Not long into the inning, however, Johnson faced the potential tying run at the plate after the Lions picked up leadoff infield single by Nathan Prindle. After a chopper back to Johnson accounted for the first out of the inning, the Sweeny, Texas native issued a four-pitch walk to put the tying run on base. In the next at-bat, however, Johnson picked up a pitcher's best friend as he induced an around-the-horn 5-4-3 double play to end the game.
 
The rubber game of this three-game opening weekend series will be played on Saturday, January 31 at 1 p.m. inside Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.