MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Former conference rivals Southern Arkansas and Delta State met on the diamond once more on Tuesday afternoon in a mid-week affair, and it was the No. 6-ranked Statesmen who came away with the win as they scored in all but one inning en route to a 26-4 road victory over the No. 24-ranked Muleriders.
 
The big offensive game for the Statesmen (21-6) started early as they plated six runs on seven hits in the top of the first inning. Four of those runs scored on two swings of the bat as Delta State's Zach Shannon hit a three-run home run which was then followed up by a solo homer by Clay Casey.
 
SAU (19-9) got two of those runs back in the bottom of the inning thanks to a two-run home run to right-centerfield off the bat of Cortland McPherson.
 
In the top of the second inning, however, Delta State scored twice without the benefit of a hit to push their advantage back out six runs, 8-2.
 
Neither team scored in the third, but the Statesmen scored in each of the final four innings with three runs in the fourth and fifth innings, and six runs in the sixth and seventh innings to account for their 26 runs in the game.
 
The Muleriders would score twice more in the game after the third on a RBI groundout by Jake Tisevich in the fifth and on a solo home run by Cole Boyd in the sixth. Boyd's homer was his first collegiate home run.
 
SAU will look to bounce back this weekend as they remain at home for a three-game Great American Conference series against Ouachita Baptist. Game one is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start on Friday, March 30. The final two games will be played as part of a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday. In the middle portion of the fifth inning of game one on Saturday, SAU Athletics will be sponsoring an Easter Egg Hunt for kids age 12-under.