Magnolia, Ark. – The SAU Softball team extended their winning streak to 16 games on Friday, sweeping their day one doubleheader of Southern Nazarene by scores of 4-0 and 11-3 in five innings.
The Muleriders jumped out ahead in game one, with a
Rachel Miller RBI single that scored
Savanah Martinez to open the scoring.
Martinez went yard for the eighth time this season in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring
Hannah Scullion, pinch running for
Elisa Favela, and
Chelsea Fagan, with Favela and Fagan leading off the inning with back-to-back singles.
Sydney Wader picked up the win, improving to 18-2 on the season. She threw a complete-game shutout, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out six batters. The junior has now thrown 14 complete game, seven of which have been shutouts.
Game two saw the hosts' offense explode for nine runs in the fourth inning. After not having a baserunner for the first three innings,
Sarah Evans led off the inning with a walk. She advanced to second on a wild pitch, and moved to third on a
Faith Otts groundout. Evans then scored on a wild pitch and Favela grounded out.
The Muleriders then proceeded to score eight runs with two outs in the inning, starting with a Fagan single up the middle and a Martinez walk. A pitching change followed and
Sarah Pitre hit a single that drove in Fagan.
Laina Suesue singled in Martinez and Pitre; a pitch hit Miller for the tenth time this season, and
Hallie Saintignan hit an infield single to load the bases. Evans walked in Suesue, and Otts hit her third grand slam of the season to make it nine runs total in the inning, eight soring with two outs.
The Crimson Storm pulled back three runs, but the Muleriders pushed across the final two runs to run-rule the game, with a Suesue run coming from an Evans single and Saintignan scoring on a wild pitch.
Victoria Taylor improved to 6-3 on the season. The junior threw four innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out five batters.
Brooke Ford-Nelson relieved Taylor for the final inning, allowing four hits and three runs (one earned) and striking out two.
The Muleriders are back in action tomorrow morning as they look to sweep the Crimson Storm.
