RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – A four run, fifth inning highlighted by a two-out home run from designated player Maddie Dow sent No. 15 Southern Arkansas past No. 7 Arkansas Tech 4-1 in the Central Region Super Regional on Thursday afternoon at the Chartwells Women's Sports Complex and in the process punched the Lady Muleriders' ticket to Denver, Colorado, for the NCAA Division II College Softball World Series.
 
The Lady Muleriders (51-9) claimed the Central Region Championship for the first time in program history with Thursday's win as they took the first two games of a best-of-three series with the Golden Suns (49-11). Southern Arkansas will open play in the DII World Series on Tuesday, May 17, against No. 3 North Alabama (54-6), winners of the South Regional. First-pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. from the Regency Athletic Complex in Denver, Colorado.
 
Junior right-hander Kaylee Garner (24-3) worked five tough innings for Southern Arkansas in the circle as she dispersed seven hits and allowed just a single run, while striking out seven batters. Garner stranded a pair of Tech runners at second and third in the top of the first inning and a single runner at second in the second inning, before the Golden Suns plated their only run of the afternoon on a two-out RBI-single from the bat of Janie Knowles.
 
Garner continued to battle as she worked around a lead-off single in the fourth and a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning, before the Lady Mulerider offense delivered with four runs in the home-half of the fifth.
 
Summer Ehrig walked to lead-off the frame and Liz Hudgins reached on a fielder's choice bunt as SAU put runners at first and second with no outs in the inning. Taylor Guin pushed pinch-runner Kim Whelehon and Hudgins sixty-feet to third and second respectively with a sacrifice bunt, before the Lady Muleriders struck for four runs.
 
With two outs, a deep fly-ball into the right centerfield gap off of the bat of Darian Harris was misplayed allowing Whelehon and Hudgins to score and Harris to reach second. With a 2-1 lead, Dow delivered her sixth home run of the postseason as she belted a 2-1 offering from Tech starter Jalissa Gum a mile high into the centerfield bleachers cushioning the Lady Mulerider advantage by three runs, 4-1.
 
Senior Kimmy Beasley entered the circle in relief to begin the sixth inning and the left-hander was efficient in earning her third save of the season as she allowed just one hit in two innings of action to preserve the lead.
 
Dow, Guin, Brooke Goad and Hudgins all registered a hit, with Dow collecting both of SAU's RBI on her 18^th home run of the season. Dow, Harris, Hudgins and Whelehon tallied the runs for the Lady Muleriders.
 
The 2016 NCAA Division II College Softball World Series interactive bracket can be found here: http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/softball/d2 as well as updated information on next week's national tournament.  
 
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 continuing coverage of Southern Arkansas' postseason run.