WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The Southern Arkansas baseball team bounced back from a heart-breaking one-run loss in extra innings in game one of Saturday's doubleheader against Southwestern Oklahoma to claim their fourth conference series of the season. The series victory was secured by a masterful two-hit shutout by Kenneth Tabor in the nightcap.
   

LINE SCORE – GAME 1	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
SAU Muleriders (15-8, 9-5 GAC)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	13	0
SWOSU Bulldogs (15-10, 10-4 GAC)	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	11	2

 
PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 1
W – Brendan Petismeyer (2-0)
L – Nick Starr (0-1)
S – NONE
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• The opening game saw a combined 24 hits between the Muleriders and Bulldogs, but just five total runs crossed the plate with SWOSU getting the final run in the bottom of the 10^th to come away with the win.
• The Muleriders opened scoring in the game with a single run in the top of the first inning as Jacob Richardson hit an infield single that scored Austin Baker, who had doubled to right field to lead of the game. Jake Tisevich, who had five RBIs in last night's game singled behind Baker to push him to third base for Richardson. SWOSU starter Brendan Petismeyer then escaped the inning without further damage.
• In the bottom of the second inning, SWOSU put together a two-out rally to take one-run lead themselves, 2-1. With two outs, the Bulldogs had four-consecutive singles with the final two driving home runs.
• That 2-1 score would hold until the top of the eighth inning when the Muleriders manufactured the tying run. In that eighth inning, Dakota Wright singled through the left side to lead off the frame. He was then sacrificed over to second by Zach Muldoon. A walk to Riley Orr and a single by Baker loaded the bases with one out for Jake Tisevich. He then drove in the tying run on a sacrifice fly out to right field. Jacob Richardson was then intentionally walked and Petismeyer got out of the inning a batter later.
• SAU and SWOSU traded two-out doubles in the bottom of the eighth and the top of the ninth, respectively, but the game ultimately went into extras as reliever Nick Starr retired the Bulldogs in order in the bottom of the ninth.
• Petismeyer then did the same to the Muleriders in the top of the 10^th to set up the heroics by his offense in the bottom of the frame.
• In the bottom of the 10^th, Starr got the first out on a groundout, but Marion McClean singled to right field following the initial out. McLean then advanced to second on another groundout, but with two outs, Chase Duncan singled up the middle to score McClean and give the Bulldogs the win in extra innings.
• That was also the first extra-inning game for either team this season.

 
ON THE MOUND – GAME 1

• Jacob Stroder was the starting pitcher for the Muleriders, but he did not factor into the decision. He would pitch 7.0 innings and allowed eight hits and two earned runs. Stroder did not walk a batter and struckout five.
• Nick Starr pitched in relief for the Muleriders and suffered the loss in the bottom of the 10^th. In 2.2 innings of work, Starr allowed three hits and one earned run while recording a pair of strikeouts and walking none.

 
AT THE PLATE

• The Muleriders out-hit the Bulldogs, 13-11 with six different players recording hits in the contest
• Four of those had multiple-hit games with Dakota Wright leading the way with four hits as he went 4-for-5. Jacob Richardson also had a good day at the plate going 3-for-4 with a RBI.
• Leadoff batter Austin Baker was 2-for-6 and catcher Zach Muldoon was 2-for-4.
• SAU had three extra-base hits, all doubles, with two coming from Wright and the third from Baker

   

LINE SCORE – GAME 2	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
SAU Muleriders (16-8, 10-5 GAC)	0	0	3	1	0	0	0	4	9	3
SWOSU Bulldogs (15-11, 10-5 GAC)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2

 
PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 2
W – Kenneth Tabor (5-1)
L – Tyler Tuck (1-1)
S – NONE
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• Having been retired in order through the first two innings, the Muleriders got their offense started in the top of the third with three runs on four hits in the frame.
• Dakota Wright got things rolling with a leadoff single which was then followed by a single by Zach Muldoon. Both runners were advanced 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Riley Orr. Austin Baker then singled to left field to score Wright from third. On the same play, SWOSU's left fielder committed a fielding error to help score Muldoon from second. Jake Tisevich then singled down the left field line to push Baker to third. The Mulerider's third run that inning then scored on a groundout of Jacob Richardson.
• An inning later, SAU plated a single run on a two-out RBI by Orr.
• That would be all the scoring in the game and all the run support needed by SAU starter Kenneth Tabor as he handled the potent Bulldog lineup the rest of the way out.

 
ON THE MOUND – GAME 2

• Kenneth Tabor improved to 5-1 on the season as he went the distance in the seven-inning contest and allowed just two hits, both singles. He did walk three, but had five strikeouts en route to securing his first career shutout.
• Tabor's shutout was not only his first career, but it was the first time that the Bulldogs have been shutout this season. Coming into today, SWOSU was averaging 8.4 runs per game.

 
AT THE PLATE – GAME 2

• SAU totaled nine hits in game two to give themselves 22 for the doubleheader. All nine of SAU's hits in the second game were singles.
• Austin Baker and Zach Muldoon were the only Muleriders with multiple hits in the game as Baker was 2-for-4 and Muldoon 2-for-3. Baker also picked up a RBI and Jacob Richardson and Riley Orr accounted for the other RBIs for the Muleriders.

  ON DECK
The Muleriders will be back in action on the weekend as they return home to welcome in Northwestern Oklahoma for a three-game series. The opening game will be Friday, March 23 at 6 p.m. with the final two games being a doubleheader the following day at 1 p.m.