BETHANY, Okla. – The No. 7-ranked Southern Arkansas softball team put together an impressive offensive performance across both ends of Friday's doubleheader at Southern Nazarene as the Lady Muleriders totaled 20 runs on 28 hits en route to picking up the sweep. Almost half of the hits on Friday went for extra bases as SAU hammered out eight home runs and four doubles.
 
TEAM RECORDS
(#7) Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders (18-2, 9-1 GAC)
Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm (6-12, 3-5 GAC)
 
PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 1
W – Brooke Ford-Nelson (4-1)
L – Katelyn Brown (3-6)
S – None
 
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS

• A strong wind blowing out helped generate offense for both the Lady Muleriders and the Crimson Storm as the two teams combined for 21 runs on 27 hits with seven of those hits leaving the yard.
• Of the seven home runs hit between SAU and Southern Nazarene, five went the way of the Lady Muleriders as Marina Duran, Monica Islava and Jill Roye all hit homers. Duran and Roye would each touch them all twice in the game and drive in five runs.
• Roye bookended the Lady Muleriders' home run efforts as her first was a mammoth solo shot out to right field off of SNU starter Katelyn Brown in the top of the second inning. Prior to Roye's home run, Brown had struck out four-straight to open the game.
• Roye then came back in the top of the seventh put the game out of reach completely as she hit a line drive grand slam out to right-centerfield.
• Both of Duran's home runs were clutch as they gave the Lady Muleriders a lead. Her first was a three-run homer the other way out to right-centerfield and broke a two-all tie in the third. Her second home run was a two-run blast to left field in the fifth, which turned a one-run deficit into a one-run lead for the Lady Muleriders.

 
IN THE CIRCLE

• Victoria Taylor got the start and pitched 3.0 innings. She would give up six hits and five earned runs while striking out four. Two of the hits surrendered by Taylor were home runs as Riley Brown and Caitlyn Curlee went back-to-back in the third.
• Brooke Ford-Nelson was first out of the bullpen and she was sensational in relief. In 3.0 innings pitched herself, Ford-Nelson allowed just one hit and one unearned run as she was credited with the win. She also struck out five batters to tie a season-best.
• After the Lady Muleriders added five runs of insurance in the top of the seventh to take a nine-run lead, sophomore Reagan Nichols was called upon to make her season debut. Nichols would give up a couple of hits but worked around those to toss a scoreless bottom of the seventh to secure the win.

 
AT THE PLATE

• As a team, the Lady Muleriders racked up 18 hits with eight different players registering a knock. Six had multiple hits led by Faith Otts as she went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles. Duran and Roye each went 3-for-5 with their aforementioned five RBIs. Islava, Rachel Miller and Hallie Saintignan all went 2-for-4 as well.

 
PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 2
W – Brooke Ford-Nelson (5-1)
L – Brooke Tate (2-2)
S – None
 
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS

• A died down wind did not lend itself to a much offense as game one, but SAU and Southern Nazarene still combined for 17 hits in the nightcap.
• The Lady Muleriders continued to connect on the long ball as they sent three over the fences with Marina Duran, Brooke Goad, and Faith Otts all homering in the game. Despite the three long balls, however, SAU plated just five runs in game two as all three were of the solo variety.
• Prior to the Lady Mulerider home runs, SAU got on the scoreboard in the top of the second as Hallie Saintignan ripped a two-run double to right-centerfield with two outs to score Megan Godoyo and Otts. That made it a 2-1 game in favor of SAU.
• Southern Nazarene tied the game in the bottom of the inning.
• In the fourth, Duran and Otts went back-to-back off of SNU starter Brooke Tate to make it 4-2, SAU, but the Crimson Storm battled back to tie the game at four-all with a single run in the fourth and sixth innings.
• Neither team scored in the seventh to send game two into extra innings. It was the first extra-inning game of the season for either team.
• In the top of the eighth, Brooke Goad swung at the first pitch she saw and promptly sent it out to centerfield for a solo home run and a 5-4 SAU lead. The Lady Muleriders then threatened for a lot more as they loaded the bases with no outs.
• Southern Nazarene then turned to the bullpen and brought in game one starter Katelyn Brown. Brown proceeded to escape the major jam with no further damage, keeping it 5-4 SAU.
• In the bottom of the eighth, Southern Nazarene had the tying run reach first right away on a leadoff hit-by-pitch from Brooke Ford-Nelson. Ford-Nelson clamped down from there retiring the next three batters to nail down the one-run victory for SAU.

 
IN THE CIRCLE

• Jenny Hittinger got the start and pitched 3.2 innings before being relieved by Jill Roye. In her time in the circle, Hittinger allowed five hits and three runs (two earned), walked two and struck out two.
• In relief of Hittinger, Roye pitched 2.1 innings and gave up two hits and one earned run. She also issued one walk and had two strikeouts.
• Brooke Ford-Nelson came on with a 3-0 count and runners at second and third with two outs. Ford-Nelson came all the way back in that at-bat and later induced a groundball to get out of the inning.
• Ford-Nelson then got the final six outs of the game for the Lady Muleriders as she picked up her second win of the day. Three of those final outs came via the strikeout.

 
AT THE PLATE

• The Lady Muleriders reached double-digit hits for the eighth time this season as they totaled 10 in game two. Seven different Lady Muleriders recorded a hit with Marina Duran, Brooke Goad and Hallie Saintignan all having multiple hits and going 2-for-4.
• Saintignan's two RBI double also paced the team in RBIs. Duran, Goad and Otts accounted for the other RBIs on their solo home runs.

 
UP NEXT
The Lady Muleriders and Crimson Storm meet again on Saturday for a doubleheader to conclude their four-game series. First-pitch is scheduled for noon.