Bentonville, Ark. – The SAU Softball opened their day one of action at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic in empathic fashion, pushing across 42 runs in eight innings of hitting, which included 15 extra-base hits, a cycle and a few new school records.

The Muleriders jumped out to a 5-0 in the first inning of their game against Upper Iowa; an error and fielder's choice accompanied a Chelsea Fagan double, Alese Casper single and Maeson Grace walk with the bases loaded.

The Peacocks pulled one back in the top of the second before the Muleriders dropped five more runs in the bottom half of the frame. Christina Hill cleared the bases with a double, Laina Suesue sacrificed flew in a run, and Jaxynn Dyson scored on a wild pitch.

The third inning only saw four runs scored, this time via a Fagan single, Dyson hit by pitch, Grace walk and Suesue sacrifice fly.

The Muleriders nine runs in the fourth inning saw their total balloon to 23, a new school record for a single game.

A Hill RBI single preceded a Dyson grand slam, the first home run of her collegiate career. Later in the inning, Favela would go yard for a three-run shot and Hill would round up the scoring with an RBI double.

Fagan, one of three Muleriders to get a hit in all of their at-bats, set the single-game record for runs scored with five. The senior went 5-5 with two RBIs and five runs scored.

Dyson and Grace went a combined 3-3 at the bottom of the order, driving in eight RBIs and drawing four walks.

Favela picked up the win in the circle, throwing three innings and allowing one hit, one run, two walks and four strikeouts.

Kim Abundis and Crystine Kistner made their SAU debuts inside the circle, both throwing an inning in relief.

Sydney Wader would get the start in game two and go the distance, throwing a complete-game shutout, only allowing three hits and striking out six.

Hill, who went 4-5 with four runs and five RBIs in game one, managed to outdo herself in game two against Pittsburg State, hitting for the cycle and driving in eight runs, a new school record.

A single in the first inning, an RBI triple in the second, a 3-RBI double in the third and a grand slam in the fourth now means the senior from Southlake, Texas bests the previous school record of seven RBIs in a game, previously held by Maddie Dow (2x), Sarah Higginbotham, Fagan and Faith Otts.

Favela kicked off the scoring in game two with an RBI single to left field. Sarah Evans would hit the Muleriders' second grand slam of the afternoon for her third homerun on the season.

Suesue and Favela would hit solo homeruns in the beginning of the second inning before Hill would triple in Evans, who in turned scored on an Alese Casper single.

The third inning saw Favela single in a run before Hill would hit a bases-clearing double; she would once again score on a Casper single.

Grace led off the fourth inning with a homerun, her first of the season, and the scoring wrapped up later in the inning when Hill hit the Muleriders' third grand slam of the day to secure her cycle, bringing the Muleriders' run total to 19 in game two and 42 for the day.

For the day, Hill went 8-9 from the plate with three singles, three doubles, a triple and a grand slam and 13 RBIs and seven runs scored.

Hill, who was in and out of the lineup a season ago, has proven to be a vital part of the Mulerider lineup. This season, she is hitting .444 with five doubles, three triples, two homeruns and 19 RBIs. She is slugging .917 and has totaled 33 bases, starting all ten games this season.

Hill had more RBIs today (13) than she did in the entirety of last season (10). Totaling 21 total bases last season, she collected 16 today alone. With four extra base hits all last season, she notched five today; and only scoring five runs a year ago, she crossed the plate seven times today.

The Muleriders improve to 8-2 on the season. They close their time in Bentonville tomorrow, facing Maryville and Northwest Missouri.