MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Down in the count 1-2 with no one on and two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning of a four-all game between Southern Arkansas and Arkansas-Monticello, SAU's
Carver Rademacher obliterated an Austin Braddock offering to straight away centerfield for a mammoth solo homerun that put SAU on top 5-4. Rademacher's solo blast proved to be the game-winner as
Travis Johnson slammed the door shut in the ninth to preserve the one-run win for SAU on Saturday night at Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
Prior to Rademacher's eight-inning blast, SAU had jumped out to a 3-0 lead against UAM as the Muleriders (33-15, 18-10 GAC) plated three runs in the first inning off of Braddock, who started for the Boll Weevils (17-18, 12-14 GAC).
In that first inning, SAU loaded the bases with no outs after a leadoff single by
Chase Harvey and consecutive walks to
Jon Phillips and
Korey Keith. The first run would then score on a sacrifice fly to right field off the bat of
Billy Germaine, scoring Harvey. In the next at-bat, Rademacher drove in his first run of the game on a groundout to the shortstop, scoring Phillips. Moving to third on the play was Keith and in the ensuing at-bat, Keith scored as
Byron Reichstein doubled to left-centerfield.
Single runs in the third and fourth innings by the Boll Weevils off of SAU starter
Landon Simpson made it a one-run game, 3-2, but in the bottom of the sixth, SAU stretched it to a two-run lead on a sacrifice fly by
Chris Quinn, scoring Germaine, who single to left to lead off the inning.
A scoreless seventh inning for both teams gave way to the eighth inning, where the Boll Weevils struck for two runs in the top half to knot the game at four-all. In the bottom of the inning, the first two Muleriders were retired in quick fashion, bringing Rademacher to the plate with no one on and two outs. As was aforementioned, Rademacher fell behind in the count 1-2 before crushing the solo homer to centerfield.
Now leading once again, the Muleriders turned to the bullpen in the ninth after eight strong innings from Simpson, who scattered seven hits, walked one and struck out seven. Coming out of the pen to start the ninth was SAU closer
Travis Johnson.
In the top of the ninth, Johnson would get into early trouble as UAM's Bronson Gillam found the gap in right-centerfield for a leadoff double. Following his double, Gillam was pinch-ran for by Lathan McFadden. In the ensuing at-bat UAM looked to move McFadden, who represented the tying run, over to third with less than two outs, but Nick Cerda was unable to get down the sacrifice bunt, eventually going down swinging for the first out. In the ensuing at-bat, McFadden did make it over to third as Braddock, hitting as the designated hitter, cued one off the end of the bat to Rademacher at first base for a 3-unassited putout.
Now with the tying run at third base and two outs, Johnson beared down and quickly picked up two strikes on Alex Smith before fanning him swinging to slam the door shut for his eighth save of the season.
The Muleriders and Boll Weevils will conclude their three-game series on Sunday with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
