WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The No. 21-ranked Southern Arkansas baseball team dropped the three-game series against Southwestern Oklahoma, 2-1, as SWOSU won the rubber game of the series by a score of 5-2 on Saturday afternoon at the SWOSU Baseball Field in Weatherford.
 
In the series finale, SWOSU (12-7, 6-3 GAC) would hold the Muleriders (12-7, 5-4 GAC) off the scoreboard until the top of the ninth when SAU rallied for a pair of runs in the frame to account for their scoring.
 
While the Muleriders were only able to score twice in the final half inning, their comeback effort in the frame threatened the final outcome as SAU had the potential go-ahead run at the plate with the bases loaded and two outs before a swinging strikeout ended the game.
 
As SWOSU was holding SAU scoreless over the first eight innings, they slowly built a 5-0 lead with single runs in the first and fourth innings before adding two more in the fifth and plating their final run in the bottom of the eighth.
 
All five runs were charged to SAU starter Hunter Mayo, but only three of the runs charged against Mayo were earned. Overall, Mayo would work seven complete innings while giving up eight hits, walking none and striking out three before he gave way to Dalton Algiene in the eighth as he retired the three men he faced with two going down as strikeout victims.
 
The Muleriders will now look to hosting Northwestern Oklahoma for a three-game series starting on Friday, March 11 and concluding on Saturday, March 12. Friday's game will be a single nine-inning contest with a scheduled first-pitch time of 6 p.m. while the doubleheader on Saturday is slated to begin at Noon.