MAGNOLIA, Ark. – #7 Southern Arkansas (12-2, 2-0 GAC) used a pair of strong performances in the circle on Friday afternoon to take both ends of the Great American Conference doubleheader with Harding from Dawson Field inside the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex. The Muleriders claimed a 6-2 victory in the series opener and in the nightcap, SAU won 8-0 (6) as senior
Laina Suesue singled home a pair of runs in the sixth inning of game two to put away the Lady Bisons.
Three pitchers worked for the Muleriders in the victories. In the opener, senior
Sydney Wader logged her fourth complete game of the season by tossing 7.0 innings of five-hit softball that saw the right-hander record four strikeouts. Wader had allowed just four hits through six innings, before a two-run home run in the seventh stood as her lone blemish on Friday's pitching ledger.
In game two, senior
Victoria Taylor dominated the Lady Bisons' order as she allowed just one hit in five innings to go along with a dozen punch outs. Taylor carried a no-hitter through 4.1 innings and at one point had fanned seven-consecutive batters. Senior
Elisa Favela worked a perfect sixth inning as she picked up a single strikeout.
At the plate, Southern Arkansas pushed across six runs on nine hits in the opener and needed just five hits to account for eight runs in the nightcap. Favela and senior
Faith Otts each recorded three hits on Friday, while Suesue led the team with four RBI and Favela and senior
Chelsea Fagan recorded three RBI each. Otts and freshman
Jaxynn Dyson both scored three times.
The runs came in bunches as the Muleriders recorded a four-run fourth inning in the opener, while using a six-run second inning to take an early lead in game two.
Favela recorded three of the team's six extra base hits and all were doubles, including a three-run two-bagger in that six-run second inning of game two.
Southern Arkansas and Harding decide the series on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader. Live coverage links are available at
www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
