MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Senior right-hander Hunter Vasquez tossed a one-hit shutout of Northwestern Oklahoma State in the Great American Conference series opener and senior slugger Cortland McPherson went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and four RBI as Southern Arkansas topped the Rangers 10-0 in seven innings on Friday night inside Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
 
The lone blemish in an otherwise pristine outing for Vasquez was a clean two-out single in the top of the fifth inning. Vasquez finished with seven strikeouts and walked just two as he earned his fourth win of the season in his third complete game effort.
 
For McPherson, a pair of monstrous home runs which included a high-arching, two-run shot out to centerfield in the fifth and a three-run blast out to right field in the seventh, highlighted a Mulerider offense that banged out ten hits in the win; seven of which went for extra bases.
 
An RBI-double off the bat of senior James Trevanion in the second inning broke the scoreless tie and the SAU bats tacked on two more runs in support of Vasquez in the fifth. Before McPherson's aforementioned first home run of the night, senior Jacob Richardson plated classmate Jake Tisevich on a sacrifice fly as Southern Arkansas led 3-0 through five.
 
Trevanion added a run in the sixth inning with a leadoff, solo homerun off the leftfield signage to push the Mulerider advantage to 4-0. Vasquez K'd the side in the top of the seventh and following the stretch, the Southern Arkansas offense welcomed a pair of Ranger relievers to the mound by plating six runs on five hits to ultimately end the game in run-rule fashion.
 
In the home half of the seventh, Richardson doubled, McPherson left the yard for the second time and Dakota Wright singled. Sophomore Austin Baker saw just two pitches in what was the final inning on Friday night: the first pitch he hit through the left side to leadoff the frame and the second pitch saw him single into centerfield to plate the final two runs and induce the run-rule.
 
McPherson led all players with three hits and four RBI, while raising his average 87 points in the game one victory. Baker, Richardson and Trevanion each collected a pair of RBI with Baker and Trevanion both picking up a pair of hits as well. McPherson scored three runs and Tisevich scored twice. Redshirt sophomore Zach Muldoon walked three times and scored a run.
 
Southern Arkansas returns to action tomorrow to close out the series with Northwestern Oklahoma. First-pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.