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#7 SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
LADY MULERIDERS
35-7 (25-5 GAC) |
#3 HARDING LADY BISON
38-4 (28-2 GAC) |
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Leading Off
#7 Southern Arkansas is traveling to Searcy for their first time since the Bison have been in the GAC. This is the first time in GAC history for there to be a pair of top-ten nationally ranked teams to face-off in the regular season as Harding sits at number three nationally in the latest NFCA poll.
The Lady Muleriders boast the top offense in the Great American Conference and own league-bests in nine offensive categories: batting average (.331), slugging percentage (.580), on-base percentage (.435), runs scored (314), hits (386), RBIs (286), doubles (69), home runs (72), total bases (677), and walks (179).
The lineup responsible for that high offensive production features five players that have played and started all, except one, 42 games and are hitting .346 or better with all having 46 or more hits. Three of those five players have 38 or more RBI, with a pair of players owning 52 or more. A Lady Mulerider boasts the best mark in ten offensive categories within the Great American Conference.
A relatively unheralded pitching staff possesses both a youth and veteran presence in starters freshman
Victoria Taylor (1.93 ERA) and senior
Kaylee Garner (1.70 ERA). The duo has combined for 31 of SAU's 35 wins, 212 strikeouts to just 49 walks and 15 complete games, while Garner has tossed a no-hit performance. The bullpen has been solid as well as
Jill Roye has three wins and three saves in 14 appearances and sports a 1.52 ERA with a 27-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Peyton Jenkins is 1-1 on the season with a save and owns a 1.26 ERA in 10 appearances. Opponents are hitting just .218 against the Lady Mulerider pitching staff.
A breakdown of SAU's first 42 games includes fourteen games with 10 or more runs, thirteen run-rule victories, eight one-run wins, four extra-inning affairs with three reaching the tenth inning, and seven losses by a combined twelve runs.
First-pitch for Friday's doubleheader is slated for 2 p.m. with Saturday's double feature scheduled for noon. Live coverage links and game-by-game recaps of all of this weekend's action will be available at www.muleriderathletics.com.
