ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - The Lady Mulerider softball team split day one of the GAC series with Ouachita after taking game one of the doubleheader, 8-1, then dropping the pitcher's duel in the second game, 1-2, to the Lady Tigers on Friday evening in Arkadelphia.
TEAM RECORDS
(#6) Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders (30-4, 19-3 GAC)
Ouachita Baptist Lady Tigers (13-16, 9-13 GAC)
PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 1
W –
Victoria Taylor (13-0)
L – Sarah Chamberlain (5-8)
S – None
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
- The Lady Muleriders put up four runs in the top of the first inning on a pair of 2-RBI doubles from Faith Otts and Megan Godoyo, respectively, that quickly prompted a 4-0 lead.
- The Lady Tigers wouldn't scratch a run until the third inning as they benefited from three 2-out singles in the frame that allowed them to cut their deficit to 4-1.
- SAU added two more in the next inning as Godoyo blasted a solo homer over the left field wall to tally her third RBI in the game, and Sarah Pitre drew a walk immediately after where she would later score on a fielding error to make it 6-1, SAU.
- A pair of runs on four hits in the top of the seventh pushed the Lady Muleriders to its eventual final decision of 8-1 as Pitre stroked a two-out, two-run dinger over the center field wall to highlight the inning for SAU.
IN THE CIRCLE
- Victoria Taylor went the distance for SAU as she pitched her way to her thirteenth win in the circle this year and allowed just one run on seven hits in the contest.
- Taylor picked up seven strikeouts in the contest without allowing any walks.
AT THE PLATE
- Godoyo led the offense for SAU with 3 RBI in her 2-for-4 effort at the plate
- Otts and Pitre followed with a pair of RBIs apiece and each of their hits going for extra bases
- Maeson Grace was 2-for-3 at the dish with a pair of runs score and Rachel Miller also tallied a pair of hits
- Goad and Islava each drew a pair of walks in the game with a run scored and Islava tallied a hit
PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 2
W – M. Butler (7-5)
L –
Brooke Ford-Nelson (9-3)
S – None
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
- A pitching duel in the second game saw both teams combine for 14 strikeouts to make it a low-scoring game
- Seven strikeouts combined through the first two innings of action saw both starting pitchers dominate their opposing offenses before SAU was able to scratch the first run in the top of the third via lead-off homerun to left-center field off the bat of Pitre to give the Lady Muleriders a 1-0 lead.
- SAU's lead was short-lived as the Lady Tigers strung together four hits that plated two in the bottom-half of that frame to take the lead from the Lady Muleriders, 2-1.
- A pair of one-out singles put the tying and go-ahead run on the base paths for the Lady Tigers in that inning where they would later be driven in on the same two-out base knock by S. Johnson that led to the 2-1 score.
- SAU's offense posted threats in each of the following four innings of action as they combined for seven base runners, but solid pitching efforts from Ouachita's starting pitcher M. Butler kept the Lady Muleriders from adding any additional runs as SAU suffered the eventual loss, 1-2.
IN THE CIRCLE
- Ford-Nelson pitched all six innings for SAU and suffered the loss in the circle after allowing a pair of runs on eight hits to move to a 9-3 record on the year
- Aside from the loss, Ford-Nelson still pitched a solid game with six strikeouts and no walks allowed
AT THE PLATE
- Pitre led SAU with one RBI and was 2-for-3 at the dish with a run scored
- Godoyo and Miller each collected a hit
- Goad and Grace each picked up a pair of walks, and Marina Duran had one
