MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Traditional rivals on the diamond, Southern Arkansas and Delta State hooked up once more, this time under the lights of Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field on Tuesday evening, with SAU besting DSU by a score of 8-1.
The Statesmen (17-14) would score first in the game thanks to back-to-back doubles to start the third inning, but SAU starter
Colton Strother did a great job of limiting the damage to just that one run in the frame.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Muleriders (29-14) would put Strother on the plus-side of the game with a pair of runs to make the score 2-1. Both of the runs that scored for SAU came in without the benefit of a hit as a based loaded hit-by-pitch to
Justin Buchanan plated the first run and a subsequent bases loaded walk to
William Townsend pushed across the second run. Neither run was earned either as the Statesmen committed a throwing error earlier in the inning.
Now staked to a one-run lead, Strother returned to the mound in the fifth, but found himself in early trouble as DSU's Jonathan Andrews singled up the middle to leadoff. Strother would strikeout the next batter and then picked off Andrews as he was attempting to steal second base for the second out, but a full-count HBP and a full-count walk reapplied pressure for Strother.
Facing the Statesmen's cleanup hitter Ethan Gill with two on and two outs, Strother would pitch his way out of the inning as he got Gill to ground the ball to
Trevor Rucker at third base and Rucker stepped on third for the force out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the inning, the Muleriders would strike for six runs on three hits and with the added help of four walks to push their lead out to seven runs, 8-1. Picking up RBIs in the frame were Rademacher with a two-RBI single off the top of the left field wall, a sacrifice fly off the bat of
Justin Buchanan, and a RBI triple to deep left field by
Chase Harvey.
That six-run fifth inning proved to be the defining moment in the game as Strother pitched a scoreless sixth before giving way to reliever
Hunter Mayo, who worked the final three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four as he slammed the door shut and picked up his first save in the process.
The Muleriders will now turn their attention toward the weekend as they will play host to East Central in a three-game Great American Conference series starting on Friday, April 17 at 6 p.m. at Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
