MAGNOLIA, Ark. – It was anything but softball weather on Sunday afternoon at Lady Mulerider Field as the Southern Arkansas softball team battled cold temperatures, crisp winds and a relentless, light rain to pick up an 8-7 series win over Ouachita Baptist.
Due to the weather and worsening field conditions, the second game of the scheduled doubleheader was cancelled.
Southern Arkansas (11-6, 6-2 GAC) tied the game at one in the bottom of the first courtesy of a
Chelsea Ivy home run. OBU answered in the next frame with a solo shot to take a 2-1 lead and a two-run homerun in the sixth gave the Lady Tigers a 4-1 advantage.
Despite being held to five hits as a team, SAU broke through with a big inning in the bottom of the sixth that saw the Lady Muleriders score seven runs with two outs on only two hits while taking advantage of five walks, a hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch that put SAU out front 8-4.
An
Ashton Atwell walk with two outs scored
Summer Ehrig who singled to right center to lead-off the inning. A wild pitch scored
Taylor Guin, before
Audrey Farfan walked to reload the bases.
Sarah Higginbotham walked to bring in
Darian Harris and tie the game at 4. Two pitches later, Ivy was hit-by-pitch to score Atwell and give the Lady Muleriders their first lead at 5-4.
Ehrig singled for the second time in the inning, this time scoring Higginbotham and Farfan to push the SAU lead to 7-4. Ivy scored on a passed ball to end the big inning for the Lady Muleriders.
Jami Godwin started the game in the circle for Southern Arkansas and was relieved in the sixth inning by
Abby Weaver, but reentered in the seventh to shut the door on the Lady Tigers who plated three to make it a one-run ballgame before Godwin induced a fly out to end the threat.
Godwin earned her second save of the year in 6.2 innings of work, while Weaver picked up her second win in only a third of an inning of work.
Ehrig led the offensive charge for Southern Arkansas by collecting two hits and two RBIs, all coming in the highlighted sixth inning. Ivy scored twice and also added a pair of RBIs, while
Maddie Dow walked three times with Guin and Atwell collecting two walks apiece.
The Lady Muleriders return to action on Friday, March 6 with a Great American Conference doubleheader against Henderson St in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Friday's doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., while first pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is set for noon.
