MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas softball team's offense erupted for nine runs on nine hits in the first inning of the opening game of Saturday afternoon's doubleheader against Southeastern Oklahoma. That monster first inning would carry the Lady Muleriders to an eventual 9-7 win over SOSU, but the Savage Storm forced a split in the twin-bill with a 3-1 win in the night cap.
 
In that first inning the Lady Muleriders (17-12, 9-7 GAC) would load the bases quickly with no outs as Chelsea Ivy, Maddie Dow, and Ashton Atwell all singled in succession to start the game. Ivy then scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch. Later in that at-bat, Sarah Higginbotham plated both Dow and Atwell as she doubled into left-centerfield.
 
That two-RBI double prompted a pitching change for the Savage Storm (13-16, 9-5 GAC) as Ashley Moore came on in relief of starter Jessica Seay. Even with the pitching change, the Lady Muleriders kept pouring it on in the inning as Audrey Farfan made it five-consecutive hits as she singled home Higginbotham to make it 4-0.
 
The consecutive hit streak would end in the ensuing at-bat as Abby Weaver struck out swinging, but no out was recorded as Weaver reached first base on a wild pitch following her swing and miss. Now with runners on the corners, SAU added another run to make it 5-0 as Taylor Guin doubled into left-centerfield to score Farfan.
 
In the ensuing at-bat, SAU loaded the bases once more on an infield single by Leigha Doyle. Still without an out recorded, Moore would get the next two batters out, but a walk to Dow chased home the sixth run of the inning and Atwell followed that with a two-RBI double to make it 8-0. Higginbotham then made it 9-0 on a RBI single to left-centerfield, but the scoring barrage would end there as Moore got Farfan to flyout to end the first inning.
 
After that monster inning for the Lady Muleriders, the Savage Storm settled in and would strike for a pair of runs in the third inning to make it 9-2. That score would hold until the top of the sixth as Southeastern put together a furious rally that was sparked with a leadoff homerun by Laramie Beal. The Savage Storm would go on to plate four more runs that inning as they cut the Lady Mulerider lead down to two runs, 9-7.
 
Working out of that sixth inning was Chancy Williams as she was inserted into the game with the bases loaded and no outs. After surrendering four runs, three of which were charged to starter Jami Godwin, Williams would strand the bases loaded as she picked up a called third strike to end the inning.
 
After SAU was unable to add any insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, Williams came back out in the top of the seventh and was downright dominant as she eventually struck out the side to end the game after allowing a two-out single.
 
In the nightcap, Southeastern jumped out to 2-0 lead as both runs scored in the first inning. That score would remain until the fourth inning when the Lady Muleriders plated their lone run of the game on a RBI double by Guin.
 
In the next half inning, Southeastern would push their advantage back out to two runs as they scored a single run in the top of the fifth.
 
That two-run advantage would hold as the Lady Muleriders managed just one baserunner over the final three innings as Southeastern forced the doubleheader split.
 
The Lady Muleriders and Savage Storm will conclude their four-game Great American Conference series with a doubleheader on Sunday starting at noon at Lady Mulerider Field.