ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – After weather halted Friday's Great American Conference series opener after two and a half innings of play, the Southern Arkansas Softball team used eight runs over the final four innings to top Ouachita 11-3 in the postponed series opener, before receiving a pair of shutouts in the circle and combining for 16 runs on 24 hits offensively to take the previously scheduled doubleheader as well as the series (3-0) on Saturday at Sully Anderson Field in Arkadelphia.
 
The Lady Muleriders (23-2, 15-2 GAC) resumed game one by plating a run each in the fourth and fifth innings and then tacked on three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings as they cruised to an 11-3 win over the Tigers (7-18, 1-16 GAC). Brooke Goad homered twice in the win, while Tyler Casada, Maddie Dow and Chelsea Jordan each belted a homerun in the series opener. SAU starter Kimmy Beasley went the distance and surrendered only two hits and two runs, while collecting eight strikeouts on Saturday morning as she finished the game with 11; her fourth 10-plus strikeout game of the season.
 
In the regularly scheduled doubleheader, Kaylee Garner fired 8.0 combined innings in the circle, including a five-inning shutout in her eighth complete game of the season. She finished the day with seven strikeouts, while the Tigers managed just three hits and a walk as they hit a slim .111. Beasley entered the circle in relief to begin the fourth inning of the series finale and struck out four, while allowing just three hits. Peyton Jenkins received the final frame of action and retired the Tigers in 14 pitches.
 
Goad continued her monstrous day at the plate as she led-off game two with a solo homerun and Southern Arkansas would tack four runs in the third inning and three runs in the fourth inning as they tallied a combined six hits in the two frames, before adding a single run in the fifth inning to win 9-0 in a run-rule shortened contest.
 
In the third game, Darian Harris collected a total of three RBI in the first and second innings as the Lady Muleriders led 3-0 courtesy of a pair of singles by Harris. An infield single by Ashton Atwell in the second inning and Jordan's second homerun of the series in the third inning made it 5-0. Goad doubled home a run in the fifth and Summer Ehrig pushed the seventh run across in the final frame via sacrifice fly as Southern Arkansas took game three 7-0, while outscoring the Tigers 27-3 in the series sweep.
 
Goad led the Lady Muleriders with six hits that included three jacks and a pair of doubles, while also collecting five walks and scoring eight runs. Five Lady Muleriders recorded five hits and Taylor Guin followed Goad with four runs scored. Harris led SAU with eight RBI and Casada, Goad and Jordan each added four RBI.
 
As a team in the series, Southern Arkansas collected 10 walks and three hit-by-pitches, while striking out just eight times in 88 at-bats. SAU banged out 38 hits that included eight doubles and seven homeruns, and defensively produced a perfect fielding percentage accounting for 57 putouts. In the series opener, SAU set a season team-high for hits in a game with 14, and tied their season-high for total bases with 31.
 
The Lady Muleriders currently sit in second place in the league standings behind #5 Arkansas Tech (23-2, 15-1 GAC).
 
SAU is back in action this coming weekend, March 25 and 26, as they host Henderson State in a four-game Great American Conference series beginning with a doubleheader on Friday, March 25, at 2 p.m. Southern Arkansas split a weather-shortened series with the Reddies last season as both teams recorded a win, while HSU defeated the Lady Muleriders in the conference tournament last May.
 
Be sure to check www.MuleriderAthletics.com or follow us on Twitter @MuleriderSports for the most up-to-date news on Lady Mulerider Softball.