GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – The Southern Arkansas Mulerider baseball team began play in the QuikTrip DII Classic with their second-consecutive walk-off win of the season as the Muleriders defeated Nebraska-Kearney, 3-2, in 10-innings on Thursday evening inside QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.
 
In that 10th inning, the Muleriders (3-1) would get a leadoff double to right-centerfield off the bat of Jon Philips. Phillips was then pinch-ran for by Renaldo Morris. Looking to move Morris to third base with less than two outs, SAU turned to their bench and called upon Chris Quinn to lay down a sacrifice bunt.
 
On the first pitch of the at-bat, Quinn would lay his bunt down towards the third base side of the mound and UNK (1-3) pitcher, Jacob Dittman would elect to try and cut down Morris at third base rather than making the play on Quinn at first, but Dittman's throw would get past his third baseman allowing Morris to scamper home for the winning tally.
 
Earlier in the game, UNK struck first with a pair of runs on two hits in the top of the third inning off of SAU starter Landon Simpson. That frame would prove to be a minor blemish on an otherwise solid outing by Simpson as he ended up working eight innings, scattering three hits and two runs while striking out nine.
 
Simpson would get the no-decision, however as Travis Johnson picked up his first win as a Mulerider after working a scoreless ninth and 10th inning.
 
Offensively, the Muleriders were paced by Chase Harvey, who went 3-4 with a run scored. Phillips added two hits and two RBIs to lead help the charge for the Muleriders.
 
SAU will play their second game of the QuikTrip DII Classic on Friday morning at 10 a.m. as they are set to take on West Texas A&M of the Lone Star Conference.