MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Junior pitcher
Kaylee Garner dealt a five-inning perfect game, while recording ten strikeouts and
Kimmy Beasley scattered three hits in the nightcap as the duo received plenty of offensive production from their teammates as Southern Arkansas plated a combined 17 runs, including five homeruns in a pair of five-inning performances on Friday afternoon at the 2016 SAU Softball Invitational in Magnolia.
The Lady Muleriders (2-0) picked up their first win of the season behind Garner as they topped Lincoln University 8-0, before following with a 9-0 shutout of Southwest Baptist in the nightcap, concluding play on the opening day of the inaugural SAU Softball Invitational.
Garner became the third-pitcher in school history to fire a perfect game and the first since April 30, 2004, when Krystal Poulin accomplished the feat in a 5-0 win over Delta State. Garner's perfection came via ten strikeouts, four fly-outs and a groundout. The Danbury, Texas, native allowed only one ball to leave the infield in her 15 batters faced.
With two outs in the bottom half of the first inning,
Ashton Atwell supplied Garner with the only run support she would need as the senior outfielder blasted a solo homerun to left field to give SAU an early 1-0 lead. In the fourth inning, the Lady Muleriders cushioned their lead courtesy of a pair of homeruns and two extra-base hits.
Junior catcher
Tyler Casada followed a
Darian Harris walk with a single to left field that set
Summer Ehrig up for a three-run blast to give Southern Arkansas a 4-0 advantage.
Shyanne Nichols walked on the next at-bat, and with two outs in the inning,
Liz Hudgins tripled home Nichols, before scoring on a
Brooke Goad double that quickly gave the Lady Muleriders a six-run lead. The final runs would cross on a mammoth home run shot to right field from the bat of
Maddie Dow that plated Goad.
In the nightcap, Beasley retired seven Bearcats via strikeout, while only facing seventeen batters as she scattered three hits and struck out the side in the fourth and fifth innings.
Hudgins singled to centerfield in the bottom of the second inning with the bases loaded to push across a run as SAU took an early 1-0 lead. An inning later, Harris laced a pitch over the centerfield wall, scoring three, while give Beasley, who was flawless down the stretch, a cushioned lead, 4-0.
A Southwest Baptist fielding error resulted in an SAU run, increasing their lead to 6-0, before Goad placed the finishing touches on a successful season-opening double-header by belting a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning scoring Hudgins and
Sydney Johnson, who pinch ran for
Chelsea Jordan after the latter singled into right center.
Eleven different Lady Muleriders scored a run on Friday afternoon, led by Goad's three. Southern Arkansas combined for 13 hits on the day as a trio of players in Goad, Hudgins and Harris each collected a pair of hits, while
Tyler Casada led the way with three base knocks. Goad delivered with four RBIs, while Ehrig and Harris added three and Dow plated two runs.
Southern Arkansas returns to action tomorrow with a pair of games beginning at 2 p.m. The first matchup of for SAU will be against Newman University, followed by a 4 p.m. contest with Rogers State. Follow this link for day one box scores of all eight Friday games in the SAU Softball Invitational:
http://muleriderathletics.com/sports/2015/12/8/SAU_Softball_Invitational.aspx?path=softball.
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.
