ADA, Okla. – The Southern Arkansas Mulerider softball team collected 18 hits over the course of Thursday's doubleheader against East Central University, but the Tigers held the Lady Muleriders to only two runs in the first game and scattered five runs in the nightcap to pick up a doubleheader sweep and their 15^th win in their last 17 games.
 
In game one, the Lady Muleriders (17-16, 9-12 GAC) trailed early as East Central collected nine hits in the second and third innings combined to take a 7-0 lead after three innings of play. A scoreless fourth inning led to a run-scoring fifth for Southern Arkansas as the Lady Muleriders found the scoreboard courtesy of a two-run homerun by sophomore Maddie Dow; her eighth of the year.
 
Freshman Abby Weaver entered the circle in relief of SAU starter Chancy Williams in the bottom of the fifth and held the Tiger bats at bay, but the Lady Muleriders were unable to rally; dropping the first game 7-2.
 
The Tiger bats remained hot in the second game against Lady Mulerider starter Jami Godwin as ECU banged out 16 hits resulting in nine runs, which included three in the sixth inning to suppress a Southern Arkansas rally.
 
First inning singles by Taylor Guin and Ashton Atwell set up a run-scoring opportunity for Sarah Higginbotham and the senior followed through by plating a run via a sac-fly to right field to put the Lady Muleriders up 1-0.
 
Godwin cruised through the bottom half of the first and allowed only a hit in the second inning, before SAU added a run in the top half of the third courtesy of a solo homerun by Guin that put Southern Arkansas ahead by a pair of runs, 2-0.
 
But East Central found life offensively as the Tigers manufactured three runs in the home half of the third inning and added three more in the fourth to take a four run lead, 6-2.
 
Southern Arkansas rallied late by plating two runs in the fifth on a fielder's choice by Dow and an RBI single from the bat of Audrey Farfan. Godwin worked around a pair of singles in the home half of the fifth as SAU pulled to within a run, 6-5 in the top of the sixth on a solo homerun by Darian Harris.
 
The Tigers responded quickly with a first pitch homerun in the bottom of the sixth and proceeded to add two more insurance runs that eventually led to a 9-5 win.
 
Guin collected four hits on the afternoon, including a three-hit performance in the nightcap. Atwell and Farfan added three hits apiece in the doubleheader and Dow produced three RBIs on the day.
 
Southern Arkansas closes the series on Friday, April 3, with a twin bill scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.