MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Sophomore shortstop Trevor Rucker belted a solo homerun out to left field with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Southern Arkansas baseball team a 7-6 walk-off win on Saturday afternoon at Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
 
The thrilling end and final score of Saturday afternoon's series finale between Southern Arkansas (2-1) and Lindenwood (1-2) seemed unimaginable two-thirds through the game as the two teams were locked in a pitcher's duel.
 
At the end of six innings of play, Lindenwood held a 1-0 lead over SAU. That lone run to that point in the game was a first-pitch solo homerun by Shawn Hagerty to leadoff the top of the third inning.
 
In the top of the seventh, Lindenwood added another run to take a 2-0 lead on a RBI single by Wade Rothermich. In the bottom of the inning, however, the Muleriders would push across their first run of the game when William Townsend drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs.
 
An inning later, the Mulerider offense would receive a shot of life when Carver Rademacher hammered a three-run homerun to left-centerfield, giving SAU a 4-2 lead heading into the ninth inning.
 
Lindenwood would not go quietly after Rademacher's momentum-swinging big fly in the eighth, however, as the Lions rallied for four runs on four hits in the top of the ninth to put themselves up by a pair of runs, 6-4.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, the Muleriders generated a rally effort of their own by loading the bases with one out thanks to a double by Townsend, a hit-by-pitch to Rucker, and a walk taken by Keaton Miller. In the ensuing at-bat following loading the bases, designated hitter Billy Germaine made it a 6-5 game when he collected a RBI after grounding out to Lindendwood's sure-handed shortstop.
 
Now down to potentially their final out, Korey Keith drew a walk to re-load the bases. During the next at-bat, Lindenwood reliever Matt Meier uncorked a wild pitch to allow the tying run to cross the plate for the Muleriders. Later in that same at-bat, Lindenwood's shortstop Nathan Prindle ranged to his right to make what stood as another great play to end the inning.
 
Neither team would score in the 10th inning, and SAU held Lindenwood off the board in the top of the 11th as well to help set up the walk-off heroics by Rucker in the bottom of the frame.
 
The Muleriders will now prepare to travel to Grand Prairie, Texas as they will serve as the host-school in the eight-team QuikTrip DII Classic which will be held over February 5 through February 8. All games during the classic will be played at QuikTrip Park. For more information on the classic, check out the "Classic Central" page on MuleriderAthletics.com (http://muleriderathletics.com/sports/2015/1/5/MBB_0105150458.aspx?path=baseball)