BENTONVILLE, Ark. – #5 Southern Arkansas edged Northwest Missouri 6-5 behind a dozen strikeouts from freshman right-hander Victoria Taylor and the Lady Mulerider offense exploded in the second game of the day with 18 hits in a 14-5 victory over Central Missouri at the UAM 8-State Classic on Friday and in the process improved their overall record to 9-1.
 
TEAM RECORDS
#5 Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders (9-1)
Northwest Missouri State Bearcats (2-4)
 
PITCHING DECISIONS
W – Victoria Taylor (6-0)
L –  Rachel Smith (0-3)
S – Peyton Jenkins (1)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1)

• Southern Arkansas wasted no time striking first in the early morning affair as the fifth-ranked Lady Muleriders plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run home run off the bat of Maddie Dow, which scored Brooke Goad who led off the bottom of the first inning with a five-pitch walk.
• Northwest Missouri cut its deficit in half courtesy of a solo home run from Alexi Kelsey in the top of the second inning and tied the game at two runs apiece in the third inning on a two-out RBI-single by Rebecca Maher.
• A four-run fourth inning from the Lady Muleriders cushioned the lead for SAU starter Victoria Taylor, who scattered ten hits and surrendered just two earned runs in 5.1 innings, while fanning a career-high 12 batters en route to her Great American Conference-leading sixth win of the season.
• In the productive home half of the fourth inning for Southern Arkansas, Monica Islava singled into center field to start the inning and moved up a base on a passed ball. Megan Godoyo worked a full count before ripping a double into the left centerfield gap that scored Islava and broke the game's 2-2 tie.
• With one out in the inning, a fielder's choice erased Godoyo, but allowed Faith Otts to reach first base. Otts would advance to second on a walk to Rachel Miller and a two-out single by Goad landed in the right centerfield opening scoring Otts and pushing Miller to third.
• Dow walked on the next at-bat to load the bases, before Jill Roye plated Miller and Goad scored on a fielding error of Roye's single to put Southern Arkansas up 6-2 through four innings.
• The Bearcats would again answer in the following half inning as they plated three runs on five hits and one SAU fielding error. Taylor's biggest strikeout of the game was her 11^th and it ended the Northwest Missouri threat as the Bearcats worked runners at the corners with two outs, before Taylor avoided further damage.
• The Lady Muleriders came away scoreless in the bottom of the fifth and after Taylor's 12^th and final strikeout of the game began the sixth inning, Roye took over in the circle and two batters later induced an inning-ending lineout.
• Down to their final at-bat in the top of the seventh, the Bearcats pressured Southern Arkansas after a leadoff walk, a sacrifice bunt and a hit-by-pitch, put runners at first and second with one out.
• Peyton Jenkins entered in relief of Roye and recorded the second out of the inning on a fly out that advanced the runners to second and third. Jenkins forced a pop out on the infield by the next batter to preserve the victory for the Lady Muleriders.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Dow, NCAA Division II's active career leader in home runs, collected her fourth of the season that plated a team-high two RBI.
• Goad, Godoyo and Roye each collected a pair of hits and one RBI.
• Taylor administered no free passes in 5.1 innings as the freshman did not walk or hit a batter in 26 batters faced.
• It was just the second time in nine games that Southern Arkansas has been outhit (8-10).

 

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TEAM RECORDS
#5 Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders (9-1)
Central Missouri Jennies (5-8)
 
PITCHING DECISIONS
W – Kaylee Garner (3-0)
L –  Alexa Bradley (2-4)
S – NONE
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2)

• The Lady Muleriders stranded a pair of runners in the top half of the first inning and Central Missouri responded with a pair of runs on two hits and an error to take 2-0 lead after an inning of play.
• Southern Arkansas' bats would awaken in the ensuing frame as four hits and a fielding error led to four runs as SAU gave starter Kaylee Garner a 4-2 lead entering the bottom of the second inning. Goad, Miller and Roye each had RBI hits, with the latter's plating a pair of runs in the inning.
• Garner was efficient in the home-half of the second inning as she sat down the Jennies in order and didn't allow the Lady Mulerider bats to cool off as Southern Arkansas plated five runs in the third inning on three hits and an error. Miller drew an RBI walk and a two-run sacrifice-fly from Goad increase the SAU lead to 7-2, before Dow cranked her fifth home run of the season with two outs in the inning as SAU staked Garner with a 9-2 advantage.
• A two-out homerun for the Jennies in the bottom of the third inning cut the UCM deficit to 9-4.
• The teams combined for just one hit in the fourth and fifth innings and the lone SAU run in the sixth inning came on a misplayed ball on a single by Islava which scored Marina Duran who doubled to right center field earlier in the frame.
• The Lady Muleriders would manufacture another four-run inning supplied by five hits in the top of seventh inning.
• Meleya Belden banged out the first of those five hits with her first career base knock and scored on the next at-bat as Goad tripled, before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Dow.
• Leading 12-4 with two outs, Islava doubled home Taylor Stricklin who entered as a pinch runner for Roye after her two out single. Godoyo followed in the next at-bat with a single up the middle that plated Islava to put SAU out front 14-4.
• Jenkins entered in the sixth and stranded a runner as she allowed just one hit and a single run in two innings of work. UCM's last run came in the seventh inning on an RBI-ground out.

• The top three spots in the SAU order: Goad, Dow and Roye combined for nine hits and nine RBI, led by Roye's four hits and Goad's four RBI. Godoyo also collected four hits.
• Tyler Casada along with Goad, Godoyo, and Miller each scored twice.
• Southern Arkansas' 18 hits are a game-high this season and the fourth time in ten games they have generated ten or more hits. It was the first time since April 25, 2015, that SAU banged out 18 or more hits. They did so with 18 hits in a 17-0 win over Southwestern Oklahoma in that season's regular season finale.
• As Taylor did in the first game, Garner did not issue any free bases and allowed just four hits.