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#4 SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
LADY MULERIDERS
44-4 (33-3 GAC) |
#21 ARKANSAS TECH
GOLDEN SUNS
35-13 (26-10, GAC) |
vs. Arkansas Tech
Friday, April 20 | 3 p.m. | DH
Chartwells Field - Russellville, Ark.
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
vs. Arkansas Tech
Saturday, April 21 | 1 p.m. | DH
Chartwells Field - Russellville, Ark.
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
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GAME NOTES (PDF)
LEADING OFF
The No. 4- ranked Southern Arkansas (44-4) travels to Russellville this weekend for a GAC series with No. 21 Arkansas Tech starting with a twin-bill on Friday at 3 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on Saturday slated for a 1 p.m. first-pitch.
The Lady Muleriders are coming off of their longest win-streak of the season with 14-consecutive wins against GAC opponents since March 31st, and currently find themselves in first place in the conference standings in the two weekends of regular season action.
For the 11th-straight week, the Lady Mulerider softball team has been one of the top-15 nationally ranked teams in the NFCA DII coaches poll, and has been tabbed in the top-5 for the past two weeks with its highest rank this season being tabbed at No. 4 announced earlier this week!
The Lady Muleriders boasts an offense that leads the GAC in batting average (.339), on-base percentage (.428) and slugging percentage (.589), which also ranks fifth in the nation. Additionally, the SAU bats own top five marks in seven other offensive categories including runs scored, hits, RBI, walks, and home runs. The team's 87 dingers leads the league and its per game home run average of 1.81 is the second-most in the nation.
In the circle, the Lady Muleriders own the league's lowest team-ERA at 1.60 and opponent batting average at .216. As a staff, SAU has struck out 294 batters, ranking them first in the league in that category, and has allowed the fewest runs, earned runs, hits, and walks in the GAC.
Arkansas Tech has been equally as impressive this season with a 34-12 overall record and a 25-9 record in GAC play that currently ranks them second in the league standings behind SAU with a top-25 mark in the nation. The Golden Suns are second behind SAU in seven offensive categories including batting average (.338), slugging percentage (.516), on-base percentage (.404), runs scored, RBI, home runs, and total bases while owning the league's top-mark in hits, doubles, and triples.
The ATU pitching staff, through 46 games, holds the second-best team-ERA in the GAC at 2.99 with 192 strikeouts and has allowed the third-fewest runs (169), earned runs (132), and hits (317) in 308.2 innings pitched. In that, the Golden Suns hold opponents to second-lowest batting average in the league behind SAU at .263.
