CLEBURNE, Texas – Junior southpaw Hunter Brantley matched his career-high in strikeouts with ten, while at the plate the Muleriders received multi-hit mornings from senior Austin Baker (3-for-4, 2 R, 1 SB), transfer senior Kobe Morris (2-for-4, 1 R), and transfer Jacob Martinez (2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI) as (RV) Southern Arkansas topped Oklahoma Panhandle State 5-2 in the season opener for both teams on Friday morning at the 4HIM Classic from The Depot at Cleburne Station.
 
The Muleriders (1-0) scored the game's first five runs, including the first run in all of NCAA Division II Baseball in 2020, as reported by D2 Diamond Info, after junior Josh Walker trotted home on an RBI-triple from junior Cooper King in the latter's first plate appearance of the season which came in the bottom of the second inning.
 
Four of SAU's five runs came in support of Brantley who went six full innings, scattered just three hits and surrendered just two walks as he faced 23 batters. Brantley struck out the side in the top of the first and it wasn't until the top of the third inning with two away that Aggies managed their first base knock against the Mulerider starter. The left-hander recorded five strikeouts looking and five swinging as Friday's total matched his career-best K output in an April 9 loss vs. Ouachita last season.
 
In SAU's three-run third inning, Baker scored on a pass ball, Morris scored after senior Mason Peterson stole second, and Peterson was plated by an RBI-double from the bat of Martinez. The final run came following the stretch and did so in support of senior reliever Tanner Vaught. Baker singled with his third hit of the game to lead off the inning, stole second, advanced to third on a single by Morris and promptly scored on a double-play groundout by Peterson.
 
Vaught worked the final three frames to pick up the save, the second of his career, as he operated around four hits and two earned runs.
 
Southern Arkansas is back in action on Saturday for a 9 a.m. first-pitch with Newman from The Depot at Cleburne State. The Muleriders will play (RV) Wayne State (NE) at 4:30 p.m. at Cleburne High School. Live stat links can be found at www.MuleriderAthletics.com and at the 4HIM Tournament Central page.