HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Southern Arkansas Lady Mulerider softball team opened the 2015 season in dramatic fashion as Brooke Goad connected for a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 7^th to give SAU a 9-8 victory over Maryville on Friday afternoon in the opening game of the UAH Charger Chillout, hosted by the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
 
Trailing 8-6 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Leigha Doyle doubled to left-centerfield and would advance to third on a left field single from the bat of Courtney Hudgins. Hudgins would advance to second on the throw, setting the stage for Goad.
 
The sophomore from Waxahachie, Texas, hammered the second pitch of the at-bat out of the park in centerfield for the walk-off winner, 9-8.
 
SAU starter Miranda Cuff worked around a pair of runners in the first inning before the Lady Mulerider offense provided run support by scoring four runs on four hits in their first trip to the plate in 2015.
 
Maryville collected a run in the 2^nd, but Southern Arkansas would add two more runs in the bottom half courtesy of a Sarah Higginbotham RBI double and an RBI groundout from the bat of Audrey Farfan.
 
Trailing 6-1 in the 3^rd, Maryville would plate another run and then work out of a bases loaded jam as Southern Arkansas would strand three runners.
 
Cuff would retire the side in the fourth inning. SAU would also go down in order in the fourth and as well as the fifth inning, before Maryville finally forced Cuff from the circle in the sixth after registering four runs on four hits.Cuff worked 6.1 innings before being relieved by Abby Weaver who pitched the final two outs of the seventh inning to pick up the win in her first collegiate appearance.
 
Goad finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and the aforementioned homerun while also scoring twice.Doyle and Higginbotham also collected two hits apiece, while Ashton Atwell and Maddie Dow both scored a pair of runs.
 
Southern Arkansas continues play in the UAH Charger Chillout with a 3 p.m. contest with Trevecca Nazarene University of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.