MAGNOLIA, Ark. – After losing the opening game of the series on Friday night, the Southern Arkansas baseball team emphatically claimed the series on Saturday afternoon as they scored 23 runs on 28 hits in a doubleheader sweep of Arkansas Tech at Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
 
Of the 28 total hits across both games, 11 went for extra bases with six of those leaving the yard for SAU.
 
In the first inning of the opener, the Muleriders (24-13, 15-9 GAC) set the stage for what would be an offensive onslaught the remainder of the game as Trevor Rucker and Justin Buchanan went back-to-back with homeruns to put SAU out in front 2-0.
 
The Muleriders went on to hang crooked numbers in each of the next three innings to push across 15 runs through the first four innings. During that time, SAU scored three runs in the second, six in the third, and four in the fourth.
 
In the second inning, SAU got a solo homerun from Michael Page and a two-RBI double from Buchanan. In the third, Page and Buchanan picked up RBI singles, while Nathan Stubber tripled home two and later scored on a RBI double by Jake Tisevich. In the fourth inning, Buchanan added three more RBIs to his total as he cleared the bases with a double. Germaine also picked up a RBI with an infield single in the frame.
 
The Muleriders wrapped up their offensive tear in game one in the sixth as Austin Bishoff unloaded on a two-run homerun over the advertising signage in left-centerfield, giving SAU 17 runs.
 
The 17-run effort is the most runs scored in a game this season for the Muleriders. Additionally, SAU put up season-bests in hits (19), RBIs (16), homeruns (4), and total bases (37).
 
Hunter Mayo was the beneficiary of all the offense in game one as he was able to easily improve to 7-3 on the season. In his start, Mayo worked six complete innings with six hits given up, three earned runs allowed, two walks issued, and four strikeouts collected.
 
Redshirt freshman Jake Alexander pitched a perfect top of the seventh inning to close out the run-rule win for the Muleriders.
 
In the second game of the doubleheader, SAU jumped out to another 2-0 first inning lead as Germaine crushed a two-run homerun out to left field.
 
The Wonder Boys (17-23, 9-15 GAC) tied the game at two-all in the top of the third, but Germaine connected on another two-run homerun in the bottom of the inning to put the Muleriders back on top, 4-2.
 
Germaine's second homerun of the game was his 10^th of the season giving him consecutive years as a Mulerider with double-digit homeruns.
 
The Muleriders took a three-run lead through five innings of the scheduled seven-inning series finale as Rucker hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 5-2 game.
 
The Wonder Boys struck for two runs in the top of the sixth, however to make it a one-run game, but a RBI single by Page in the bottom of the sixth added a run of insurance and SAU closer Jared Fielden worked a clean seventh to earn his sixth save of the season.
 
The Muleriders are scheduled to continue their homestand this upcoming Tuesday as they will play host to Harding University in a non-conference mid-week contest. First-pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.