MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Senior Garrett Walker carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning of Saturday afternoon's series opener with East Central and finished with ten strikeouts in a two-hit performance, while the bats of #12/11 Southern Arkansas erupted for 25 hits which included a dozen extra base knocks in the doubleheader sweep of the Tigers in Great American Conference action from Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
 
The Muleriders (16-7, 11-3) pushed across ten runs on 17 hits in the series opener and then added nine runs on eight hits and four Tiger errors in the seven-inning affair to pick up its fourth GAC series win this campaign. Of the dozen base hits, six players recorded a double, three registered a triple, which all came in the second game, and three players left the yard. Senior Dakota Wright recorded one of each extra-base hit, while junior Justin Hanlin hit a triple and home run in game two.
 
The damage could have been a lot worse as Southern Arkansas stranded 18 base runners across 16 innings.
 
Senior Kane Koenigseder led five other players that recorded at least two hits in the opener as he went 5-for-5 with two runs scored in his first start of the season. Wright and junior Cooper King each collected three RBI, while junior Devin Beard went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks.
 
Walker dominated through 7.1 innings as he struck out ten. His lone blemish was a one-out solo homerun that plated the only Tiger run in the series opener. Walker allowed a base hit in the following at bat which ended his outing. Senior JT Watt entered in relief and retired the next two batters to end the eighth and made quick work of the Tigers in the ninth to help Walker secure his third win of the season.
 
In the second game, the Muleriders answered a three-run second inning by the Tigers with two runs in the bottom half and three more in the fourth inning to take a 5-3 lead before plating four runs in the sixth inning. King hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game and an RBI single from Austin Baker gave Southern Arkansas the lead.
 
Sophomore Hunter Brantley weathered eight hits and three earned runs as he worked six innings, while striking out eight batters to just one walk. After the Tigers' four-hit, three-run second inning, Brantley surrendered just four hits in the rest of his outing. Freshman Parker Abrego took over in the seventh and picked up two strikeouts as he faced the minimum.
 
Hanlin went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored in the game two win.
 
The Muleriders look for the sweep against East Central on Sunday. First-pitch from Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field is scheduled for 1 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.