MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Behind
Victoria Taylor's 14 strikeouts in game one, and a strong offensive output in game two, the No. 5-ranked Southern Arkansas softball team swept Sunday's GAC doubleheader over the Henderson State Reddies with a 3-0 shutout in the series-opener, followed by a walk-off run-rule win in the fifth inning of the second game, 9-1.
TEAM RECORDS
(#5) Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders (36-4, 25-3 GAC)
Henderson State Reddies (24-15, 16-12 GAC)
PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 1
W –
Victoria Taylor (16-0)
L – Sydney Bonner (9-7)
S – None
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
- A lead-off walk in the bottom of the first inning fell in the Lady Mulerider's favor when Monica Islava stroked an RBI double to left-center field to put SAU on top 1-0.
- Both teams were scoreless through the following three innings due, in part, to solid pitching and defense that saw both teams strand a combined four base runners in that time span.
- Starting pitcher for SAU, Victoria Taylor, was just one strikeout shy of tying her single-game career strikeout record set earlier this season as the sophomore dealt an impressive 12 strikeouts through seven innings pitched.
- It was also Taylor's ninth time this season to record three hits or less against the opposing team, and her fifth shutout in her 20 starts this year.
- SAU added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth on a 2-RBI single from Rachel Miller that proved to be more than enough to decide the final victory as the Lady Muleriders secured game one with a final decision of 3-0.
AT THE PLATE
- Brooke Goad was issued three walks in the contest
- Miller led SAU with a pair of RBIs with a hit and a run scored
- Islava credited SAU's other RBI as she went 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk
- It was SAU's tenth time this season to record 2-or-fewer strikeouts as a team in a game
PITCHING DECISIONS – GAME 2
W –
Brooke Ford-Nelson (11-3)
L – Cayleigh Guthrie (0-2)
S – None
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS
- SAU's offense set the tone early as they put up three runs in the first and scored every inning after that, except for the fourth, to take a 9-1 run-rule victory over the Reddies after five innings.
- It was SAU's 15th run-rule victory of the year, and 10th in conference action
- Goad was issued her fourth-straight walk in the doubleheader to lead-off the first inning for SAU, then a hit-by-pitch to Miller and a base-knock from Faith Otts would load the bases for Marina Duran in the frame who then plated all three of those runs with a 3-RBI double into the right-center field gap which prompted a quick pitching change for the Reddies
- SAU added a total of four runs on five hits in the following two innings to jump out to a quick 7-0 lead over the Reddies, and backed it with solid defense in the field and on the mound to keep Henderson State off the board until the fifth.
- The Reddies' lone run in the contest was unearned due to a throwing error earlier in the inning, and came on a 2-out RBI Single from one of HSU's top hitters in the lineup
- Following a lead-off single from Sarah Pitre, Hallie Saintignan put the game away in the bottom-half of that frame as the freshman blasted her first career homerun over the right field wall to walk-off the Reddies in the fifth with a final score of 9-1
- SAU faced three pitchers in the contest and registered three runs against each one
- Brooke Ford-Nelson registered her fourth game of the year with one-or-less runs given up in at least five innings pitched
- With four strikeouts and no walks, Ford-Nelson moves to 11-3 in the circle for SAU
AT THE PLATE
- In 40 games played this season, SAU recorded its first game with zero strikeouts as a team
- SAU combined for nine runs on 11 hits in the contest, all of those runs being earned
- Goad was issued three-straight walks in the contest where she would score twice
- Duran swung the hot bat for SAU as she plated four RBIs in her 3-for-3 effort at the plate
- Otts and Saintignan had 2 RBIs apiece as they each went 2-for-3 at the dish with a pair of runs scored
- Pitre was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored