MAGNOLIA, Ark. – No. 4 Southern Arkansas used eight hits to plate sevens in backing a combined shutout performance by starter Kenneth Tabor and reliever Makenzy Larsen on Saturday afternoon and the Muleriders picked up their seventh Great American Conference sweep of the season with a 7-0 victory over Harding on "Bark at the Park/Community" Day inside Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field. 
 
TEAM RECORDS
Harding Bisons (16-24, 11-16 GAC)
#4 Southern Arkansas Muleriders (32-7, 25-2 GAC)
 
PITCHING DECISIONS
W – Kenneth Tabor (8-1)
L – Jackson Ward (2-5)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Southern Arkansas struck first in Saturday's series finale as Cortland McPherson sent the first pitch he saw from HU starter Jackson Ward 400-plus feet over the center field wall which plated Jacob Richardson, who earlier in the second inning reached on a leadoff walk. The mammoth two-run shot from McPherson is the junior's seventh home run of the season; second-most on the club.
• The Muleriders would strand the bases loaded in that run-scoring second inning, but would plate two more runs in the fifth inning to back SAU starter Kenneth Tabor.
• In that fifth inning, Trevor Rucker walked to leadoff the frame, before moving to third on a double from the bat of Mark Fontenot. Richardson would follow with a sacrifice fly that scored Rucker to make it 3-0 SAU. After tagging up and moving to third on the Richardson sac fly, Fontenot was chased home on an RBI-groundout by Jake Tisevich that pushed the Muleriders out front 4-0.
• Tabor worked around a combined five base runners through the first five innings of action on Saturday, before posting a quick sixth and seventh inning of work. Southern Arkansas would again scratch a pair of runs in support of Tabor; this time on a two-run blast from Fontenot in the seventh; his sixth home run of the year. The first two run-scoring frames for Southern Arkansas began with leadoff walks and the seventh inning was no different as Rucker reached first base on his second leadoff walk of the afternoon; setting the table for Fontenot.
• Tabor stranded a pair of Harding base runners in the eighth, before Rucker plated Michael Page in the bottom half of the inning on a one-out single through the left side. 
• After picking up his sixth save of the season in yesterday's series opener, Larsen  was called upon to work the ninth inning of a no-save situation and did so quickly by working around a leadoff single, before inducing a 1-4-3 double-play with one out in the frame to end the game.

ON THE MOUND

• Tabor improved to 8-1 on the season as he allowed just six hits in 8.0 innings of work. He struck out eight batters and walked just three.
• Larsen needed only seven pitches in the ninth inning as he faced the minimum in finishing his 16th game of the season.

AT THE PLATE

• Fontenot led SAU with two hits, two RBI and a pair of runs scored. 
• Blake Hall and Josey Langston joined Rucker (RBI), Tisevich (RBI), McPherson (run scored) and Page (run scored) as Muleriders that collected a hit. 
• Richardson scored a run and collected an RBI
• McPherson plated two runs and Rucker scored two runs. 

UP NEXT
The Muleriders face a quick turnaround as they welcome in Texas A&M-Texarkana on Monday, April 17, for a scheduled 6 p.m. first-pitch from Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.