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Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Official Athletics Site of the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders
BSB | St. Cloud State (5-19-18)
Brenna Johnson
5
St. Cloud State SCSU 30-17
11
Winner Southern Arkansas SAU 38-18
St. Cloud State SCSU
30-17
5
Final
11
Southern Arkansas SAU
38-18
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Cloud State SCSU 2 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 5 8 1
Southern Arkansas SAU 0 2 4 0 1 4 0 0 X 11 17 0

W: Tabor, Kenneth (9-3) L: Ahern, Shannon (7-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | By: Jacob Pumphrey

No. 14 Muleriders eliminate St. Cloud State from Central Region Tournament

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Redshirt sophomore Zach Muldoon and sophomore Austin Baker each went 4-for-5 at the plate and senior southpaw Kenneth Tabor tossed eight solid innings to become the Great American Conference's All-Time Career Wins Leader as No. 14 Southern Arkansas eliminated St. Cloud State 11-5 on Saturday afternoon from Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field to continue their run in the Central Region Tournament.
 
SAU plated 11 runs behind 17 hits and received a solid start from Tabor on the mound to improve to 6-0 this postseason when facing elimination. Tabor's ninth victory of his senior season gives him 29 career wins and sets Southern Arkansas up with an elimination matchup against (3) Central Oklahoma on Sunday at noon.
 
A win over UCO puts Southern Arkansas one win away from Championship Monday of the Central Region Tournament as the Muleriders would play the loser of the (2) Central Missouri and (5) Augustana game at 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Live coverage links for all of the day's action can be found here: http://muleriderathletics.com/sports/2018/5/13/2018-ncaa-dii-baseball-central-region-tournament.aspx.
 
On Saturday, Tabor ran into trouble early as SCSU struck for a pair of runs in the top of the first inning on two extra base hits. SAU's first supplied run support for the lefty came in the home half of the second inning as RBI-singles from Muldoon and Baker tied the game at two through two innings of play.
 
With the slate back even, Tabor settled in and worked a quick third inning and followed that by scattering four hits and three runs over his next five innings of work.
 
Redshirt freshman Hunter Lewis worked the ninth in relief of Tabor and benefitted from a six-run cushion provided by the Mulerider offense. Lewis surrendered two hits, but prompted a 6-4-3 double play, the Muleriders' second of the afternoon, to suppress any potential Huskie rally.
 
Highlighting the offensive prowess for Southern Arkansas was a three home run bottom of the third inning that plated four runs to give the Muleriders their first lead with a 6-2 advantage.
 
Senior Jacob Richardson led off the frame with his team-leading 12th blast of the season which left the yard out in left field. A single by classmate Cortland McPherson put one on with no outs in the inning for junior Dakota Wright who cranked his 11th round tripper of the season out to deep centerfield. With two outs in the inning, Muldoon made it three bombs in the frame as he belted his fourth home run of the season out to left field to give SAU the aforementioned 6-2 lead.
 
The Muleriders combined for five more runs in the fifth and sixth innings, including a five-run, four-hit sixth that opened up the game in support of Tabor. RBI-singles from redshirt freshman Cole Boyd and freshman Riley Orr, who accounted for a team-high three RBI in the win, helped the Muleriders build its 11-3 lead through six.
 
Baker and Muldoon combined for eight hits, while Wright, redshirt freshman Cole Boyd and senior Sam Mrstik each collected two hits. Muldoon finished a double shy of the cycle after notching his first career triple in the eighth inning. Muldoon and Wright followed Orr's three RBI by plating two runs apiece, while Wright scored three times with Richardson and Boyd crossing home twice.
 
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