Magnolia, Ark. – The SAU Softball team eked out a sweep of Southeastern Oklahoma State on Friday at the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex as the Muleriders took game one 5-0 before taking game two on a walk-off wild pitch.
Game one saw the Muleriders shut out the Savage Storm as
Faith Otts got the scoring started in the third inning when she sacrifice flied home
Hallie Saintignan. The sac fly is the eleventh of Otts' career, establishing a new school record in that category.
Chelsea Fagan launched her league-leading 13
th home run of the season the next inning to double the lead. Otts singled home
Sarah Evans the next inning to add another run.
A
Sarah Pitre double that scored
Hannah Scullion and a
Laina Suesue single that scored Pitre saw the Muleriders add the final two runs of the game.
Sydney Wader threw a two-hitter in this game, going the distance and striking out four Storm batters in the process.
The Savage Storm took the lead after four scoreless innings in game two, plating two in the top of the fifth behind a Destiny Riddle double.
Brooke Ford-Nelson relieved starter
Elisa Favela, getting out of the inning without any further casualties.
The Muleriders responded with a two-out rally that scored three runs, with Favela doubling home Evans before Savanah Martinez doubled in pinch runner Scullion. Pitre, the next batter, singled in pinch runner
Taylor Stricklin to give the hosts the lead.
The Savage Storm led off the top of the seventh inning with three singles before a Keeshia Thompson sacrifice fly tied the game for the visitors. Another single to load the bases saw game one starter Wader come in relief of Ford-Nelson, leaving the bases loaded to get out of the inning.
After a
Sarah Evans groundout to start the bottom of the inning, Otts singled and subsequently pulled for pinch runner
Maeson Grace. A Fagan walk, her fourth of the game, followed a Favela strikeout. Martinez loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch, and Grace scored the winning run on a wild pitch on the next batter.
Wader picked up her second win of the day, improving to 13-2 on the season. The Muleriders improve to 24-6 on the season and 15-3 in conference play. They go for the sweep tomorrow against the Savage Storm in a doubleheader.
