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Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Official Athletics Site of the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders
Cooper King hit vs. HSU (2-15-20)
Josey Webb
5
Henderson State HSU 1-6
8
Winner Southern Arkansas SAU 9-0
Henderson State HSU
1-6
5
Final
8
Southern Arkansas SAU
9-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Henderson State HSU 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 5 7 0
Southern Arkansas SAU 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 X 8 10 1

W: Vaught, Tanner (2-0) L: Austin Cross (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | By: Jacob Pumphrey

Three-run Eighth Inning Lifts (RV) Muleriders Past Henderson State in GAC Opener

King’s pinch-hit, two-run double breaks open tie game in the eighth inning

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Junior Cooper King turned a bases-loaded, pinch-hit opportunity in the eighth inning of a 5-5 ballgame into a Southern Arkansas lead as he dropped a double on the chalk of the right field line to plate a pair of Muleriders and give SAU a 7-5 lead over Henderson State. The Muleriders (9-0, 1-0 GAC) would add an additional run in the frame as part of an 8-5 win over the Reddies in the Great American Conference opener on Saturday evening from Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
 
In the victory, the Muleriders bookended the box score with run production as they plated five first-inning runs and three eighth-inning runs to win their ninth consecutive game to start the season. The 9-0 mark is the program's best start to a season since 1986. The win came behind ten hits and SAU pushed across seven-plus runs for the sixth time in their past seven games.
 
Mulerider southpaw Hunter Brantley (2-0) went 6.1 innings in his third start of the season and despite receiving a no decision, the junior fanned a career-high 11 batters to push his season total to 28. Junior right hander Tanner Vaught (W, 2-0) worked the final 2.2 innings and allowed just one earned run while striking out four with back-to-back Ks closing out a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning which preceded King's big at bat.
 
Southern Arkansas answered HSU's one-run first inning with an RBI single by senior Kobe Morris and run-scoring doubles by senior Mason Peterson and sophomore Ty Manning. The latter's two-bagger plated a pair and he also came around to score on a wild pitch to end scoring in the frame.
 
HSU slowly chipped away at its early four-run deficit as the Reddies plated two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and single run in the eighth which could have been a lot more had it not been for Vaught's aforementioned consecutive punch outs with the bases loaded.
 
In the eighth, King's clutch double plated sophomore Brett McGee and junior Chase Hodges and King would score a couple of batters later as Morris recorded an RBI on a groundout.
 
Manning and senior Austin Baker each collected two hits with Manning delivering two of SAU's five doubles in the win. The eight runs were by scored by eight different players, while King, Morris and Peterson all registered two RBI. The Muleriders swiped three more bags to push their season total to 27.
 
The teams decide a series winner on Sunday with a doubleheader scheduled for a 1 p.m. start. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
 
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