ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – In the bottom of the fifth inning Sophomore
Faith Otts stroked her first career homerun over the leftfield wall that broke a scoreless tie and pulled the Lady Muleriders ahead, 1-0, over Lincoln on Sunday morning of the final day at the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational. Starting pitching
Victoria Taylor tossed a complete game shutout, surrendering just one hit, to keep the Blue Tigers off the scoreboard and allowed #10 Southern Arkansas to secure the late victory, 5-0.
Through four innings of action, SAU starting pitcher Taylor struck out four hitters and induced four fly-outs while allowing no hits to buy some time for the Lady Mulerider offense to get going in the bottom of the fifth.
In that frame, Otts blasted her first career homerun that left the yard just inside the leftfield foul pole to put the Lady Muleriders on top, 1-0.
The Lady Mulerider offense carried that momentum into the following inning and added four insurance runs on four hits to extend their lead out to 5-0 in the bottom of the sixth.
That frame was jumpstarted with a misplayed ball in the field that allowed
Brooke Goad to reach first base.
Jill Roye put the ball in play which moved pinch runner Meason Grace into scoring position. With one out, an infield single off the bat of
Monica Islava left runners at first and second base and brought
Marina Duran to the dish as she laced a single into centerfield to plate the first run of that inning.
Taylor Stricklin entered the game as a pinch runner and stole her first base of the season which put two Lady Muleriders in scoring position and, in the next at-bat, one of those runners would score courtesy of
Megan Godoyo's infield single, 3-0 SAU.
The final pair of runs in that frame were plated by Otts as she banged a 2 RBI double off of the centerfield wall that was just inches away from leaving the yard and brought the Lady Mulerider lead to 5-0 which would end up being the final score of the game after Taylor retired the next three Lincoln batters she faced in the top of the seventh.
