RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas softball team rallied three separate times and eventually forced extra innings in game two of Saturday afternoon's doubleheader against Arkansas Tech, but the Golden Suns edged out the Lady Muleriders 9-7 in eight innings to take a day one sweep, having won the first game of the twin-bill, 4-3.
 
The Lady Muleriders (14-9, 6-5 GAC) were originally scheduled to host Arkansas Tech, but continual rainy weather forced a washout in Columbia County, thus a change of venue for the Great American Conference matchup.
 
SAU starter Jami Godwin held the ATU offense at bay for the first four innings, before the Lady Mulerider offense plated two runs in the home half of the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. A left field double from Maddie Dow scored Courtney Hudgins and Darian Harris, as the latter two reached base via the single.
 
Tech answered with an RBI double in the fifth to cut the deficit to a run and took a two run lead in the sixth courtesy of a three-run inning highlighted by a two-out, two-run double. Harris banked a solo homer off the scoreboard in right field to cut the lead to one in the fifth inning, but the Golden Suns suppressed an SAU rally in the sixth to take game one 4-3.
 
In the nightcap, both teams flashed their offensive power, combining for 16 runs on 24 hits. The Golden Suns scratched runs in the first and third innings via the two-out double to take a 2-0 lead into the home-half of the third off of Lady Mulerider starter Miranda Cuff.
 
Harris reached on a fielder's choice and with two outs, Dow belted a two-run homerun over the right-centerfield fence to tie the game at two runs apiece. Tech answered in the fourth with an RBI single and their third two-out run-scoring double of the game to push their lead back to two, 4-2.
 
After Southern Arkansas threatened with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, ATU scored a single run in the fifth, before SAU answered in the bottom frame.
 
A two-out walk to Audrey Farfan moved Ashton Atwell to second. Sarah Higginbotham laced the first pitch of the next at-bat into centerfield for an RBI-double and Chelsea Ivy followed with a two-run single to tie the contest at 5-5.
 
The Golden Suns again took a two-run lead in the sixth, but a lead-off walk to Dow in the final frame of the scheduled seven innings gave Southern Arkansas new life.
 
After the full count walk to Dow, Ashton Atwell dropped a no-doubter onto the knoll in right center to tie the game at seven. Tech would use the last of their two-out magic in the eighth as they plated two runs to take a 9-7 lead, before working around a pair of SAU baserunners in the bottom half to take game two 9-7.
 
Harris, Atwell and Dow all left the yard for SAU in the doubleheader, while Dow, Farfan, Higginbotham and Taylor Guin all produced multi-hit games. Dow led SAU with four RBIs over the two games and Atwell and Ivy added a pair apiece in game two. Chancy Williams worked a combined six innings in the circle in relief of Godwin and Cuff.
 
The Lady Muleriders return to action tomorrow as they finish up their Great American Conference series against Arkansas Tech with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 2 pm. Check out muleriderathletics.com for updates on possible time/schedule changes.