BONHAM, Texas – The No.7-ranked Southern Arkansas softball team split their Great American Conference-opening doubleheader against East Central on Sunday afternoon as the Lady Muleriders cruised to a 10-0 win in the first game, but fell in the nightcap 2-1.
TEAM RECORDS
East Central Tigers (6-6, 1-1 GAC)
#7 Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders (10-2, 1-1 GAC)
PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 1
W –
Victoria Taylor (5-0)
L – Demi Danell (2-2)
S – NONE
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
- The Lady Muleriders got off to a sizzling hot start as they scored nine runs on six hits in the bottom of the first inning off of East Central starter Demi Danell. Four of SAU's six hits in the frame left the ballpark for home runs as Jill Roye, Marina Duran, Kiara Bonner and Rachel Miller all homered.
- Roye's home run was the first of the game for the Lady Muleriders and was a three-run shot to centerfield that scored Brooke Goad and Monica Islava after Goad singled and Islava doubled in the at-bats previous. Duran's homer came right after Roye's as the Lady Muleriders went back-to-back.
- Two batters later, Bonner ripped a line-drive home run out to right-centerfield, scoring Maeson Grace, who reached on a fielder's choice. As Duran did following Roye's home run, Rachel Miller followed Bonner's round-tripper with one of her own as the Lady Muleriders went back-to-back for the second time in the inning.
- That nine-run outburst was in support of starter Victoria Taylor, who had just made quick work of the East Central top three hitters in the top of the first. The sophomore right-hander would make that early run support standup and more as she went on to toss her third shutout of the season while limiting the Tigers to just two hits in the game.
- The 10th and final run of the game scored for the Lady Muleriders after the ECU first baseman muffed the throw from shortstop, allowing Islava to score an unearned run.
IN THE CIRCLE
- Victoria Taylor moved to 5-0 on the season and registered her third shutout of the season after she pitched 5.0 innings against the Tigers.
- Taylor would scatter a pair of hits, both singles, and struck out six while issuing no walks.
AT THE PLATE
- As a team, the Lady Muleriders totaled eight hits with seven of their nine in the batting order registering a hit. Monica Islava was the lone Lady Mulerider to notch multiple hits as he had a single and double in the game.
- Jill Roye and Kiara Bonner each had multiple RBIs with Roye pacing the team with three thanks to her three-run home run. Both of Bonner's RBIs came on her two-run blast as well.
PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 2
W – Angel Stoker (3-2)
L –
Jenny Hittinger (3-1)
S – Jacey Henry (2)
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
- After a hot start to the first game, the Lady Muleriders offense was stifled by ECU starter Angel Stoker as she held the Lady Muleriders to without a base runner until the third and without a base hit until the fifth when Marina Duran dropped a single into right field.
- In the top of the fourth, ECU pushed across the first run of the game to take a 1-0 lead. That inning, Claresha Clemmons singled up the middle to lead off and then was sacrificed over to second base. Then with one out, Kahlie Barrett doubled to left-centerfield to score Clemmons.
- A single to right-centerfield followed and after advancing to second on the throw, the Tigers were threatening for more runs with runners at second and third and only one out.
- SAU turned to the bullpen and brought in Brooke Ford-Nelson. Ford-Nelson then induced a popup to the shortstop and a soft liner to third base to get out of the inning with just the one run scored.
- In the top of the fifth, ECU plated their second run after Jacey Henry led off and reached first base on an error by SAU. A pair of singles followed to score Henry, but Ford-Nelson was able to minimize the damage in that inning to just one run.
- Duran's single in the fifth was not only SAU's first hit in the game, but also nearly produced their first run. After a pair of popouts following Duran's single, Kiara Bonner doubles into left-centerfield and on the play, Duran tried to score from first, but was called out at the plate to end the inning.
- A 1-2-3 top of the sixth by Ford-Nelson gave way to the bottom of the frame where the Lady Muleriders were able to push across their lone run of the game.
- In that inning, freshman third baseman Sarah Pitre singled through the left side. Walks to Brooke Goad and Monica Islava followed to load the bases with one out. Jill Roye then hit into a fielder's choice to the shortstop, pushing home Pitre, but the one run would be all that SAU would score as Jacey Henry, who came on in relief to face Roye induced another fielder's choice to escape the inning.
- Both teams would go down in order in the seventh inning to bring an end to the 2-1 pitcher's duel.
IN THE CIRCLE
- Jenny Hittinger got the start for the Lady Muleriders and pitched 3.1 innings. She would allowed one run on four hits and struck out one while walking two. Hittinger also suffered her first loss in the circle this season.
- Brooke Ford-Nelson pitched the final 3.2 innings and gave up one unearned run while allowing just two hits, striking out one and walking none.
AT THE PLATE
- The Lady Muleriders were limited to just three hits in the game with Sarah Pitre, Marina Duran and Kiara Bonner accounting for the knocks. Bonner's was the lone extra-base hit as she doubled.
UP NEXT
The Lady Muleriders and Tigers will conclude the four-game series with another doubleheader on Monday morning beginning at 11 a.m.
