BETHANY, Okla. – After suffering their first loss of the season in a 10-2 defeat to Southern Nazarene in Game 1, the Southern Arkansas Softball team bounced back in Game 2 to pick up an 8-5 victory over the Crimson Storm during Friday's Great American Conference doubleheader at the Cypert Athletic Complex.
 
The Lady Muleriders (13-1, 5-1 GAC) were held to just one hit and a pair of runs in the series opener, while SNU starter Kayla Wyatt received nine runs in support in the final three innings after SAU took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third.
 
Southern Arkansas found the scoreboard and the lead in that third inning courtesy of a Maddie Dow two-run homerun to left-field the scored Brooke Goad. Lady Mulerider starter Kaylee Garner (6-1) scattered six hits and four earned runs through 3.2 innings of play, before giving away to reliever Miranda Cuff who allowed a pair of hits in an inning of relief.
 
The second game of the afternoon went a lot differently for Southern Arkansas as they plated eight runs on ten hits; finally getting to Wyatt who entered into the circle in relief for SNU after the Lady Muleriders chased home four runs in the top of the first.
 
Taylor Guin singled to left field plating Dow, and Summer Ehrig delivered with a two-RBI single that scored Ashton Atwell and Darian Harris on the next at-bat. Guin would cross home after Chelsea Jordan reached on a fielding error to give SAU starter Kimmy Beasley (7-0) a 4-0 advantage after the visitor-half of the first-inning.
 
After the Crimson Storm scratched back a run in the second inning, Harris followed in the next half inning with a solo homerun to right field to push the Lady Mulerider margin back to four, 5-1.
 
Dow pushed Ehrig home with an RBI single in the fifth inning to give SAU a three-run lead after SNU plated a pair in the third inning. The Crimson Storm continued to find a way to make it close as a two-run homerun in the fifth inning brought SNU to within 6-5. An RBI-single from Guin in the sixth and a solo-shot from Goad in the seventh gave SAU an 8-5 lead, before Beasley worked around runners at first and second with one out in the seventh inning to pick up the complete-game win.
 
Guin and Harris both tallied three hits in the second game, while Ehrig collected a pair of hits. Guin and Ehrig each delivered a pair of RBI in Game 2, while Dow finished with three RBI total on the day. Harris finished with three runs scored in the win.
 
Southern Arkansas will look to take the series tomorrow as they conclude the four-game GAC set with the Crimson Storm in a doubleheader scheduled to begin at noon. Live stats and live video will be available.
 
Be sure to visit muleriderathletics.com for pregame and postgame recaps, coach's shows and other information and news regarding the 2016 Lady Mulerider Softball team.