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Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Official Athletics Site of the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders
SB Championships Game 1 (4-28-16)
2
East Central ECU 24-30
3
Winner Southern Arkansas SAUSB 42-8
East Central ECU
24-30
2
Final
3
Southern Arkansas SAUSB
42-8
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E
East Central ECU 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 1
Southern Arkansas SAUSB 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 6 2

W: Beasley, Kimmy (21-3) L: Lacey Paulk (5-11)

Game Recap: Softball | | By: Jacob Pumphrey

Harris' walk-off RBI in the 12th pushes #18 Southern Arkansas past East Central in opening round of GAC Tourney

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Great American Conference Newcomer of the Year Kimmy Beasley labored 12 innings in the circle, facing 46 East Central batters and All-GAC First-Team selection Darian Harris delivered with an RBI-double in the bottom of the 12th as #18 Southern Arkansas survived the seventh-seeded Tigers 3-2 in the longest GAC Tournament game in league history on Thursday afternoon at the Tiger Athletic Complex in Bentonville, Arkansas. 

The Lady Muleriders (42-8) advance in the winner's bracket and will play six-seeded Henderson State tonight after the conclusion of the Harding/Arkansas-Monticello opening round game. HSU defeated three-seed Southeastern Oklahoma 7-3 in the tournament's opener. SAU took three of four from HSU in the regular season series in Magnolia. 

In the postseason opener for Southern Arkansas, the Lady Muleriders scored first as a pair of runs crossed home via a wild pitch in the 2nd inning to give SAU a 2-0 lead. Before breaking the scoreless tie, SAU suppressed an ECU threat in the top of the first as Beasley (21-3) worked around a lead-off walk and an ensuing single, while benefitting from a heads-up play by shortstop Summer Ehrig to cut down the lead runner at third with one away in the frame. 

East Central rallied in the sixth inning as back-to-back doubles to lead-off the inning cut the Tiger deficit to a single run, before a one-out single by Lacey Paulk tied the tournament's second game at two runs apeice. 

Despite tossing seven innings each, Beasley and ECU starter Sydney Dow settled in during the extra innings as both teams came away empty collecting a combined three hits in innings 8-11, before a pair of hits in the 12th advanced the Lady Muleriders to a winner's bracket nightcap.

In the 12th, a one-out bunt single by Taylor Guin set the stage for Harris' heroics. With two outs in the frame, an 0-1 pitch from reliever Paulk to Harris was sent over the head of the ECU right fielder, before the ball caromed off the wall allowing Guin to score from first to promptly end the three-hour affair.

Guin and Harris recorded a pair of hits each, while Ehrig and Ashton Atwell tallied a hit to account for all six of the Lady Muleriders' hits in the tournament opener. Atwell, Guin and Maddie Dow scored a run each. Harris recorded the lone RBI, while Ehrig, Tyler Casada and Chelsea Jordan drew a pair of walks each. 

Beasley's dozen innings saw the senior scatter seven hits allowing two earned runs, while tallying six strikeouts. Southern Arkansas committed two errors to ECU's single error, while both teams combined to strand 18 runners, led by SAU's ten.  

Live stats and live video links for SAU's second round contest with Henderson State are available here: http://greatamericanconference.com/sports/2016/4/14/2016-GAC-SB-CHAMPIONSHIPS.aspx. 

Be sure to check www.MuleriderAthletics.com or follow us on Twitter @MuleriderSports for the most up-to-date news on Lady Mulerider Softball, including recaps of all the SAU action this weekend in Bentonville.

 
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